Sistani Demands Exit of Najaf Combatants (washingtonpost.com)

Sistani Demands Exit of Najaf Combatants (washingtonpost.com)

At last, a voice of reason rises in Iraq, but what is his motive? Lay down your arms, stop the killing and give peace a chance, all this from the voice of the Muslim leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Iraq. It is refreshing to see a call for peace after all the bloodshed. But one must ask, why now? The article says Sistani made the call after Sadr's loyalists fired open Sistani's office. So Sistani speaks for peace after an attempt on his own life? The call for peace smells like a self-serving call to disarm a rival. If his sentiments were true, he would have made the call weeks or months ago. Is this just another attempt at grabbing power in Iraq? Well duh….

And Sadr? Does anybody really belief he is anything other than a power mad outsider tying to usurp power by armed revolt? We play at containing his militia while his power grows. We give him time to call for more help, kill more Americans, and escalate an already deadly situation. His forces hide behind civilians and kill indiscriminately. He uses a Mosque to protect himself. How loudly does one need to say COWARD before the world sees him for what he is? It is time to take the gloves off before more of our boys come home in a bag.

I wonder how the world views this? I bet the French do/say something stupid or inapropriate. Any takers?