lennart
13-02-04, 15:09
Iraq Shi'ites Warn of Problems if Polls Delayed
Fri February 13, 2004 08:10 AM ET
By Suleiman al-Khalidi
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said on Friday an assessment by U.N. officials that elections are not possible before June 30 could stir revolt against their U.S. occupiers.
The United Nations sent a team to Iraq to gauge differences between Washington, which wants to hand over power to Iraqis by mid-year without holding polls first, and the country's majority Shi'ites, led by Sistani, who insist on a democratic election.
U.N. officials in Iraq said on Friday it would not be possible to organize polls before June 30, though they stressed it was important to hold elections as soon as security and technical arrangements permitted.
In Sistani's home town of Najaf, his supporters threatened to rise up if they did not get their way.
"If the United Nations and Americans do not fulfil the wish of our religious scholars then fatwas (religious edicts) will follow," Sheikh Rida Hamdani, a Sistani follower, said.
"At first there will be demonstrations or civil disobedience and finally armed struggle."
"We are all behind Sistani, and Shi'ites all have arms," Hussein Khalifa, a 43-year-old community elder, said.
(...)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=BZNSKTM13DZECCRBAEZSF FA?type=topNews&storyID=4354619
De Shiiten hebben de Amerikanen 1 jaar de tijd gegeven om verkiezingen te organiseren en 30 juni is de deadline. De Amerikanen zullen er nu alles aan doen om een burgeroorlog te creeeren. Hun undercover CIA team (Al-Qa'ida) is hard bezig met het uitspelen van de partijen.
Fri February 13, 2004 08:10 AM ET
By Suleiman al-Khalidi
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said on Friday an assessment by U.N. officials that elections are not possible before June 30 could stir revolt against their U.S. occupiers.
The United Nations sent a team to Iraq to gauge differences between Washington, which wants to hand over power to Iraqis by mid-year without holding polls first, and the country's majority Shi'ites, led by Sistani, who insist on a democratic election.
U.N. officials in Iraq said on Friday it would not be possible to organize polls before June 30, though they stressed it was important to hold elections as soon as security and technical arrangements permitted.
In Sistani's home town of Najaf, his supporters threatened to rise up if they did not get their way.
"If the United Nations and Americans do not fulfil the wish of our religious scholars then fatwas (religious edicts) will follow," Sheikh Rida Hamdani, a Sistani follower, said.
"At first there will be demonstrations or civil disobedience and finally armed struggle."
"We are all behind Sistani, and Shi'ites all have arms," Hussein Khalifa, a 43-year-old community elder, said.
(...)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=BZNSKTM13DZECCRBAEZSF FA?type=topNews&storyID=4354619
De Shiiten hebben de Amerikanen 1 jaar de tijd gegeven om verkiezingen te organiseren en 30 juni is de deadline. De Amerikanen zullen er nu alles aan doen om een burgeroorlog te creeeren. Hun undercover CIA team (Al-Qa'ida) is hard bezig met het uitspelen van de partijen.