Shia cleric's 'government' finds support

Shia cleric's 'government' finds support
Sunday 12 October 2003

Hundreds of Iraqis have taken to the streets in support of the parallel government that Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has announced for the country.

A day after Sadr announced the formation of his "Iraqi government" in defiance of the US-led occupation, a large crowd gathered in the city of Najaf, pledging their whole-hearted support.

--snip--

The day's show of solidarity for Sadr coincided with more resistance attacks in the troubled country.

An Iraqi police officer was killed and six policemen wounded in a hand grenade attack near the town of Karbala, south of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, thousands of Iraqi Shias have begun to converge on the city of Karbala to celebrate the birthday of the 12th Imam.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/62D93B71-232E-414F-B111-D8BF9511A34E.htm

in Iraq

. . From the Article:

A firebrand cleric, al-Sadr had announced the formation of the government during his weekly sermon in the town of Kufa.

Announcement

"I have decided and I have formed a government made up of several ministries, including ministries of justice, finance, information, interior, foreign affairs, endowments and the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice," the young cleric had said.

/snip/

"We are against the American occupation forces and we back everything that Moqtada al-Sadr says," one of the demonstrators said.

/snip/

The authorities expected as many as five million Shias to make their way into the city for the occasion.



5 Million - that's almost 1/4 of the population !!

Oh well - if the USA ain't gonna GIVE them their Freedom

- seems like they are gonna TAKE it !!

al-Sadr's version of "freedom" has a lot in common with Jerry Falwells'.

Your use of the " 5 million shias" is totally out of context - they're going for a religious festival, not necessarily to back Sadr.That's spin worthy of Fox. Or Aljazeera.