Al Jazeera, Shi'as, and revolts

Hey, cool! Al Jazeera let me back into their website (my IP had been banned ever since they were taken down by hackers). And what do I find but a fairly interesting and well written, if slightly anti-American in tone, article about the Shi'as and the non-revolt that has occurred since we entered Iraq.

The article goes into some detail about why the Shi'as have not revolted as expected and gives some insight into the train of thought that is guiding many of the Shi'a Iraqis.

For instance, I was aware that the Shi'as were concerned, and rightly so, about our true level of commitment to the removal of Saddam. After the way we hung them out in 1991, they had every right to question our resolve (and still have the right for that matter).

But I hadn't realized the historical aspect of their resistance to outside invaders of Iraq. I didn't know that the Shi'as had fought against the British in the 1920s in order to protect the Ottoman regime that oppressed them. So their resistance on behalf of on oppressor regime is partially grounded in their history as well (this is why I always plead ignorance on the finer details of Middle Eastern history).

It is without surprise that I read that the Shi'as are waiting for us to completely control a major city before they decide to join us. It is also a good reason why we need to go and join in with the Brits to get Basra secured as soon as possible. Getting the Shi'a on board with us with help immensely with the securing and reconstruction of southern Iraq. As we show more and more resolve, they are showing more and more willingness to help us. If we can get them to buy into and contribute to the idea of new Iraq they will quite possibly be some of our biggest supporters in the next phase of the regime change – creating a new government and governmental structure.

I know I ripped Al Jazeera before, but this article is a wonderful example of how they can bring the Arab side of the story to light here in the US. Hopefully they can keep up with solid, educational reporting like this and can avoid, to a large extent, sensationalism like the POW video.

And hopefully, they won't ban me again.