Moderates gone; Shiites see war as solution

"The moderates are mostly gone. . . . Even the moderate political leaders have left.
. . . A year ago, my interviews were peppered with phrases like 'Iraqis are all brothers.' The subjects would get angry when you asked their sect. Now some of them introduce themselves that way.
. . . A great many Shiites and Kurds . . . will tell you that in spite of all the mistakes the Americans have made here, the single act of removing Saddam Hussein was worth it. And the new American plan, despite all the obstacles, may have a chance to work. . . . [But probably not], particularly because their Iraqi partner . . . seems to be on an entirely different page.
. . . 'If you don’t allow the minority to lose, you will carry on forever,' [said an Iraqi government official in December].
. . . Abused under Mr. Hussein, they [Shiites] still act like an oppressed class. That means Iraqis are looking into a future of war, at least in the near term.
. . . Hazim al-Aaraji, a disciple of the renegade Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr . . . said the ideal disciples would have 'an empty mind,' and a weapon."

By New York Times reporter Sabrina Tavernise, describing her experiences in Iraq.

source
Tavernise, Sabrina. (The New York Times). January 28, 2007. It Has Unraveled So Quickly.

posted: tuesday, january 30, 2007, 5:20 PM ET
update: sunday, february 4, 2007, 10:29 AM ET

tags: iraq shiite surge