In Sistani We Trust. This guy has been the glue for Iraq. I believe he alone saved our ass over there.
====================================

kim ~ No doubt. He's the model for Westerners of a Shi'ite Ayatollah. Concentrates on the spiritual, stays out of political questions as much as he can, doesn't want an "Islamic Republic" like Iran, but that his followers behave according to the ideals of their beliefs.

He's the Iraqi Billy Graham.

He read about Democracy from Jefferson and de Tocqueville because it is not in the Koran, though a related concept called 'justice' is. He forgave us for betraying the marsh Arabs. He's battled Sadr to a standstill. Without him, Iraq would indeed be a mess.
===================

Ha-ha. That picture of Markos is so incredibly spot-on, I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.

Poor guy. Those damnable daisies keep cropping up in his carefully tended weed garden.

Meanwhile:

Iraqi vice-president and Sunni leader Tariq al-Hashemi has held talks with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most senior Shia cleric.

The meeting came a day after Mr Hashemi published proposals that he said would help achieve reconciliation in Iraq.

The plan calls for the curbing of militias and an end to sectarianism.

The Sunni alliance of which Mr Hashemi is a member withdrew from the Shia-led government in protest at the lack of progress on such issues.

But remember, there's no progress.

Hugh Hewitt's interview of John Burns on the 25th is excellent about Sistani, and he explains how Sistani's conception of religious involvement in government differs from the Iranians.
===========================

Though I am quite sure the lefties will be here soon to marginalize this statement, I have to say, this is good news indeed. ww

yep ww, they,ll be here in no time at all. news,what news! :)

Most of the Democrats are well aware of the need for persistence in Iraq, but are having to play the political games here. It's disgusting at times, but not as disgusting as them actually giving in to the nutroots.

All three of the big Dems last night said they wouldn't promise removing all troops by 2013. This is amazing. I think there is a paradigm shift going on, driven by success on the ground, and realization that there is an axis of terror.

It's a bad day to be a nutroot.
====================

Our liberal left-wing news media are the biggist bunch or fruads and liars you cant ever trust those crooks

You are not listening, BG2, things are changing over there. The Arabs have remembered they are Arab, not Persian.
===================

Our usual troll again try to distract/cover up another shameless act of their liberal leaders, as expected.
This sums it up: They (the dems) have no shame or conscience

Wednesday's Democrat debate no doubt bitterly disappointed many in the liberal base: None of their leading presidential candidates would pledge to withdraw from Iraq if elected.

"It is very difficult to know what we're going to be inheriting," reasoned Hillary Rodham Clinton. "I think it's hard to project four years from now," said Barack Obama. "I cannot make that commitment," added John Edwards.

Yet in the meantime, these very same people are trying to do all they can to take us out while Bush is in office.

The reason behind their thinking is easy enough see. Democrats know all too well that a withdrawal would mean an ignominious defeat for the United States for which they would never take personal responsibility. At the same time, however, they would not mind at all if the defeat occurred under George W. Bush.

Eh, BG2, you know not whereof ye speak. It was pressure from Allawi and his plea for Arab Unity, which helped ameliorate some of Maliki's harder lines. Just chill if it's over your head.
====================================

Looks as though these stand-up patriots have finally admitted that it's fine with them if the United States loses the war in Iraq, as long as it's Bush who gets the blame. But to have a loss followed by the obligatory slaughter on their watch? To have it attached to their presidential history? Nope.
Just more proof that there are two irrefutable requirements for being a leftist: utter hypocrisy and total shamelessness.

Barney, ah yes, the Democrats change their minds, swaying in the breeze, depending on who they're speaking to and where. You're entire post from 9:51am was absolute gibberish. Bill Richardson just reaffirmed his desire for a complete pullout. ditto for Kucinich. The rest say something different nearly every day. I would suggest that from this point on, your comments should all look like this:

Bush

15. Posted by BarneyG2000 | September 28, 2007 3:01 PM

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has always had the advancement of the Shiite sectarian revolution and Iranian interests close to his heart. He ordered Shiite lawmakers not to make political compromise deals with the Sunni lawmakers using religion as a threat.

Sistani is also not an Iraqi. He was born in Mashhad, Iran and has spent much of his life in Iran and no doubt approves of the Iranian Shiite revolution that took place in 1979 involving Shiite radicals and the politics of the deceased Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Sistani would almost certainly make Iraq a close satellite state of an Iranian regional superpower state that seeks to expand the Shiite revolution all through the MidEast and is hardly any independent voice for Iraq.

In fact, al-Sistani has lived in Najaf since he first moved there in 1951.

He is the leading proponent of the doctrine of "quietism," the moderate Shi'ite approach to governance which stands in stark contrast to the radical velayat-i-faqih, or direct religious control over secular government, practiced in Iran.

[edited for grammar - jra]

Hooson, your comment would make a lot more sense, were it not so basically wrong. Sistani's reputation has always been as a counter to the more Iranian dominated Shiite groups.

Paul Hooson should have heeded Sistani 's criticism of the liberal media. These liberals seem to be the ones cozy with a known genocidal Iranian dictator. I guess if Hitler is here, these liberals would have been happy to have dinner with him.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1665579,00.htm

My Dinner with Ahmadinejad

....
There's Brian Williams across the room, and Christiane Amanpour a few seats down.
...
Throughout, Ahmadinejad is courtly, preternaturally calm, and fiercely articulate.

Sistani may seem far more moderate than many Muslim religious leaders, however he has been a major roadblock to improved movement with political reform due to his pressures on the Shiite lawmakers in the Iraqi parliament. Compared to a pure secularist like Allawi, I consider many clerics in Iraq as not very helpful in my opinion, and fueling more conflict than compromise.

Yesterday, the Senate approved a plan by conservative Senator Sam Brownback by a vote of 75-23 that endorses the eventual breakup of Iraq by weakening the role of the central government and creating semiautonomous Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni states. The future of Iraq looks more like that of the former Yugoslavia than not.

Baghdad barney:

Gee marc, I guess this tread proves your statements from the other day were wrong:

Gee Bagdhdad I guess after getting your ass handed to you in your liked thread AND the debasing you received in another shortly there after hasn't sunk into the cement that resides inside your skull.

And I guess you have zero understanding of the "passage of time" as it relates to the validity of time and events.

Now A-Hole take a peek at the time that link was AND the time of all those statements not promising a pullout before 2013.

When you get done with that take a slow boat to hell.

hooson:

Sistani would almost certainly make Iraq a close satellite state of an Iranian regional superpower state that seeks to expand the Shiite revolution all through the MidEast and is hardly any independent voice for Iraq.

"Nice" air kiss for Sistani, what are you trying to do soften him up so you can sell him a cheap-assed non-union chinese scooter?

Hoosen's comments are very encouraging. You must keep in mind that pretty much everything he posts is 180 degrees from reality and truth.

Baghdad barney:

Ha Ha marc, you can't stand to or admit to being wrong. My point was that if the Democrats (the majority of) wanted an immediate pull out of Iraq they would have cut off funding when they had the chance last spring. You on the other hand pointed to positions by Dennis K like he speaks for and is followed by all Democrats

Are you really that stupid? Honestly? And if not, the question has to be why do you act and write so many completely stupid and ignorant things that make you look so?

In addition it's past "hilarious" that you would post a link, something you hardly ever do, that definitively proves what an asshat your are. A cat is smart enough to scratch the dirt to cover up his shit, obviously you haven't reached that level of intelligence as yet.

Now as to your comment. First of all they haven't attempted to cut off funds because 1. they would be unmasked as utter fools and wouldn't have a rats ass chance of ever being elected to anything above county commissioner (except in San Fran), and 2. I "pointed" to not only Kucinich, but richardson, murtha, edwards and several more appeasement monkeys that are running for pres and some that are not but are toeing the Iranian line of defeat and 3. I never said ALL democrats and listed specifically which ones.

AND all those statements were prior to the dem debate, NOT AFTER when they all were quoted they wouldn't support a pullout before 2013.

(Why do I hear the tune [dems]Blowin' in the Wind as background music?)

Have you purchased that ticket on a slow boat yet?

It's really Biden's resolution, although Brownback certainly seems determined to illustrate the Peter Principle more every day.

Hmmm . . . a non-binding resolution supporting a plan opposed by the President AND the sovereign government of Iraq. Say, that's about as effective as a fart against a hurricane, isn't it?

Meanwhile, of the 12 budget bills needed for the coming fiscal year, the Senate has passed . . . NONE of them. Nice work, Harry Reid and Democratic Senate!

And btw, barney... mommy is dead, wanna spit on her to like you do anything and everything that smells of republican?

BG2, you had the opportunity to read up and speak with authority or continue to make a fool of yourself. You should read Walter Shapiro in Salon about 'How the Anti-war surge failed in Congress'. Amazingly enough, he didn't even mention progress on the ground. Your leftist nutroots have forced your politicians to be so blind about the facts that they forced them into looking quite foolish in the last month.

The times they are a changin'. The Iraqis got sick of killing other Muslims.
=========================

Baghdad barney:

Well marc, I guess that you just like to hear yourself type and type profanities. I never said that the Dems wanted to cut off funding. As you will recall I said phased redeployment over and over again.

And you also said "the Democrats do not want an immediate pullout" over and over and you not only proved wrong but a patent fool as well.

The only thing you have to claim is the dems are now singing a Bob Dylan song as they have changed their public stance since that thread was started and completed.

btw, I am sure that your mother was a saint. To bad you ignored her teaching to be a gentleman and to refrain for vulgarities.

Truth be told she was a bitch and I loved her for it because she taught me long ago to not tolerate a-holes like you.

And as a gentile reminder of one of your closing lines after you have been thoroughly undressed in a thread as a charlatan and fool you end by writing one of two things:

"HA HA I win" or "blow it out your ass."

first of all...you folks should agree with him...he was blasting al-jazeera...because he feels they have a Sunni bias...(you want the link?)

As long as you are targeting those that undermine our troops...surely if you listen to Rush...you heard this man ...who never served in the military say this about our brave troops who disagree with Bush

"During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the comment while discussing with a caller a conversation he had with a previous caller, "Mike from Chicago," who said he "used to be military," and "believe[s] that we should pull out of Iraq." Limbaugh told the second caller, whom he identified as "Mike, this one from Olympia, Washington," that "[t]here's a lot" that people who favor U.S. withdrawal "don't understand" and that when asked why the United States should pull out, their only answer is, " 'Well, we just gotta bring the troops home.' ... 'Save the -- keeps the troops safe' or whatever," adding, "[I]t's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people." "Mike" from Olympia replied, "No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media." Limbaugh interjected, "The phony soldiers."

as I said...I am sure you heard it...if not just google Rush phony troops....

Why does Rush hate our Troops?

Baghdad barney:

I guess that explains it all.

It sure does, but that's the only thing you have to come back with, not withstanding your normal BS and lies which you decided not to continue at this point.

To quote you, "blow it out of your ass."

nogo:

first of all...you folks should agree with him...he was blasting al-jazeera...because he feels they have a Sunni bias...(you want the link?)

No need I've read it. But the premise he points out fits many U.S. news outlets so what's your point? (beside the one at the top of your head)

Why does Rush hate our Troops?

Your doing classic projection nogo. (see a doctor about that) He disagrees with troops that think we should pull out, nothing more. The fairy dust that serves as your brain cells have once again led you down the primrose path.

I thinking of setting up a fund for donations for simple logic lessons for Barney and Nogo.

SPQR:

I thinking of setting up a fund for donations for simple logic lessons for Barney and Nogo.

Forget it. You'd have to raise Jerry Lewis Telethon type numbers to make the slightest dent.

SPQR,
I am not sure that there is a cure for "willful ignorance" or "shameless propaganda" for a party that has no shame or conscience .

Some of those were Kurds, BG2, but why so gleeful?
========================

BG2. We'll see, I agree it was a bad day. Everyone over there is tired of the killing. Not you?
==============================

This is how Democrat speak at private fund raisers:

WE ARE DEMOCRATS! "Social Security belongs to us! And we need to get back to where we belong....IN POWER!"

DELUSIONAL!

As the democrats attack and accuse our Country of heinous crimes, obstruct and relentlessly undermine our CIC/President Bush and his Administration (IN A TIME OF WAR), the enemy is emboldened and recruitment increases. Not only does AL Qaeda join in with their partners in democrat speak so too does many an opportunistic Country. Countries like Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela & others who wouldn't hesitate to gorge themselves on the treason feast prepared them by the leaders of the democrat party. All being scavengers who wish to turn this great Country into an all you can eat buffet in attempts to flex their tiny muscles while the Rats put on their bogus hearings and show trials.

Democrats delusions of grandeur.

The arrogant vainglorious cowards would love nothing more than to be put back in power via some monumental Revolution. This is the fantasy world they live in. They expect those people they say they speak for to hoist them up and break down the doors of the White House , sit them at their throne and drop George W Bush out on the lawn like Fred Flinstone does Dino.

However the fact of the matter is we are forced to watch this despicable performance from the three ring circus of criminal immoral and traitorous democrats, cowardly version of a Coup de etat. Consisting of nothing more than fraud and deception , crying and lying. How brave.

Democrats have earned their spot on the axis of evil as far as I'm concerned. Political Terrorists they are not Americans.It's long over due to declare war on these Democrats and to hell with all this "MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUE" crap.

Brave? Ya know Bush could have volunteered to go to Viet Nam after his million $$ training.

As for cowards...are you saying none of our brave troops in Iraq vote for the Democratic Party?
Are you willing to call them cowards...who cry?

"Brave?"

Anyone who flew that plane was brave. Sorry still better than Kerry.

Ya know Bush could have volunteered to go to Viet Nam after his million $$ training.

He Did ask to go to Vietnam. Sorry still better and more brave than John Fraud Kerry and his 8mm camera.

"are you saying none of our brave troops in Iraq vote for the Democratic Party?"

Not all troops are brave. Such as those AWOL or Deserters. They tend to vote democrat and make fools of themselves on national TV.Perhaps you know a few?

"Are you willing to call them cowards...who cry?"

Ya , John Fraud Kerry

You want me to be more specific stupid? All Righty then , YOUR FUCKEN DEMOCRAT LEADERS AND PUKES LIKE YOU , GOT IT?

nogo:

Brave? Ya know Bush could have volunteered to go to Viet Nam after his million $$ training

What are in training to become the next dan rather or are your sights set to a lower level say... our own Baghdad barney?

NewsWeek

The standard rap against Bush is that he was ducking combat by joining the Guard. Actually, the Texas Air Guard had a program called Palace Alert that allowed pilots to volunteer for flight time in Vietnam. Three of Bush's fellow pilots�Udell, Woodfin and Fred Bradley�recalled to NEWSWEEK that Bush inquired with the base commander about signing up for Palace Alert. He was told no; he had too few flying hours at the time and his plane, the F-102, was by then deemed obsolete for air combat.

For blithering idiots like you flat out bullshit like your example is what keeps you breathing and cuts down the dose of Prozac needed.

Hey, we can update the Rather fight to a new thread.
====================

Brave? Ya know Bush could have volunteered to go to Viet Nam after his million $$ training.
-------------------------------------
And that 's why nogo and his fellow liberal travelers support people like Clinton, Obama, and Edwards (the top 3). Liberals love Clinton 's courage to deal decisively with American women/children at Waco.