quote:

Posted on Thu, Apr. 24, 2003 Shiite cleric refuses American contact BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -A senior Shiite Muslim cleric said Thursday that the sect's highest authority in Iraq will refuse any contact with Americans and said they should leave the country and let Iraqis form an Islamic state led by someone untainted by foreign connections. "Shiite scholars will agree on the right person that runs Iraq's affairs," Sayyed Ali al-Kathimi al-Waethi said in an interview at his modest residence. Al-Waethi represents the Hawza al-Ilmiya in Najaf, the supreme seat of Shiite learning, which issues directives that many Shiites follow without question and whose scholars are revered as spiritual authorities. Since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime, Shiites, who make up 60 percent of Iraq's people, have moved vigorously to assert power in the country. The United States has watched nervously, fearing that the moves are influenced by predominantly Shiite Iran and that Iraq could become a similar theocracy. Many Shiites, including the country's top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, oppose the idea of an Islamic state that is run by clerics. Al-Waethi, who is affiliated with al-Sistani, said "religious scholars do not want to be in power. They will elect an observant person who is not like the former rulers." "The right person does not have any connection with foreign countries," he said. Al-Waethi said that the Hawza has not had contact with American forces or with retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, the head of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, which is working to restore Iraq's services and develop an Iraqi-led interim government. "We don't put our hand in the hand of the foreigners. People should rule themselves by themselves. The Americans should leave our country peacefully," al-Waethi said. In the two weeks since U.S. forces entered Baghdad and Saddam disappeared from view, Shiites have, under Hawza direction, organized local committees, doled out funds to pay salaries, collected looted property and sent militias to secure hospitals and electric plants. The Shiites - long repressed under Saddam's Sunni-dominated government and representing 60 percent of Iraq's population of 24 million - have divided their religious loyalties among at least three leaders. Yet their opposition to a prolonged U.S. presence on Iraqi soil appears uniform. After toppling Saddam's regime, the Bush administration is keen on setting up a broad-based, democratic government in Iraq - with representation from Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Asked if they will take part in any possible elections in the future, al-Waethi said "let us wait until it happens." Thousands of Shiites demonstrated Wednesday against the United States during a pilgrimage in Karbala on Wednesday. Garner on Thursday said he believed Iranian influence was behind such demonstrations and that suspicion of Americans would cool. www.miamiherald.com

--- I GUESS that me and some others were right with this predictions... the US administration thought it would be easy eeh?!?! I guess someone up there needs some research before doing something to look good, if things get worst, it maaay worsten alot moooooreee... a big mess on the Middle East. I hope it doesn't though... lets see what the media does to destract everyone from the "REALITY". I really don't like how things MAY turn.. I hope my predictions are wrong though.