Still reeling from a violent clash in the holy city of Najaf, Iraqi protesters are calling on Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the top religious leader in the country, to step forward and intervene, saying he is the “last chance” they have after Moqtada al-Sadr’s followers quit the protests and ultimately attacked them.
In Najaf, the protest camps were torched, and over 100 casualties were reported, with demonstrators accusing Sadr’s supporters of attacking them and trying to force them off the streets.
Ayatollah Sistani is on the side of the protest movement, but rarely gets directly involved in politics. Protesters suggested he declare Friday a “million-strong march against the government.”
That’s not generally Sistani’s style, but if he made such a call, it’s clear it would lead to massive marches. He has long wielded power with care, which has enhanced his gravitas on the rare occasions he has stepped forward. While he’s likely to use Friday’s sermon to again condemn violence against protesters, it remains highly unlikely he’ll do anything so aggressive as organize his own marches, particularly with the PM-designate newly appointed, and early elections supposedly coming.
Based on what I’ve heard and what I know of history, this is a CIA orchestrated campaign, not a natural protest movement. There’s rumor of a high level CIA asset at the highest levels of Iraqi government that’s been responsible for the chaos.
One plot that clearly benefits Iran was well.
The old ayatollah is senile.
I would assume no such thing. Do not expect a person at that level to miss the timing. Because the protests are clearly broken by patriotic minded Sadrists getting out — and those that remain will soon have their leadership exposed. It was easy for them hiding behind Sadr. Now, no more.
So let us see who emerges. Ayatollah will not be calling any marches just as Sadr pulled out his supporters. The assassination proves their weakness, not strength. This act will open eyes of many as to the actions and actors behind the scene. The mob did not expect being in war with Sadr. This will peel off many naive protesters. There will be calls for restraint by the authorities — it is not in anyone’s interest to have more fatalities.
This is an important point in Iraq’s history. After US actions in the country — many started questioning the aims and motives of protesting. And starting to observe the patterns. The goal is terribly transparent — split Shia and preferably cause a mini civil war. But with the armed Shia militia at this point more focused on government dealings with US — then being bogged down with organizing inter-protest factional drama, it remains to be seen if any new armed faction emerges.
The CIA trademark is already there. The clenched fist was first designed by CIA in Budapest in a meting of activists that were to topple Miloshevic back in 2000. The outfit of civic disobedience designers and trainers has a headquarters now in Seychelles. It has been popping up from Egypt’s protest’s to Ukraine to Teheran, in Syria early on, in Lebanon today and for a while was seen in Basra.
They supply everything from telecom, backpacks with protest essentials, tents, food, drinks and daily stipends.
However, once “peaceful” protests run their course, a more violent trained element takes over. This assassination is a warning.
Like in Cairo, in Teheran, in Ukraine, Damascus, Lebanon and now in Iraq — a violent acts will multiply to gauge public reaction.
Keep in mind a novel, and very successful method for “democratic” government removal in Bolivia., Very similar to Ukraine. The objective is to find a way — pay your way — to the guards of Presidential Palace and Parliament. The President is then open to assassination and has to flee , and in Parliament, the extreme faction gets the armed thugs to force a vote under threat of arrests and harm to families — and vote for whatever was put in front of them.
Similarly in Macedonia pro-NATO vote, delegates were put under house arrest for “corruption” until they agreed to vote for NATO.