All posts by Rand Simberg

Islamic Reformation?

In today’s Journal, Amir Tehari says that we have opened up a schism in the Shia branch of Islam, pitting a thankful and powerful Iraqi sect against the revolutionary anti-America sect in Iran. This could be the beginning of the end for the Tehran mullahs.

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Uprising?

The Command Post still has nothing on this, but Fox is reporting that Kuwaiti and Iranian news sources are describing an uprising in east Baghdad and Basra of Shia civilians agains the regime.

I don’t have any sympathy for the Fedayeen and Ba’athist officials who will no doubt meet their well-deserved fates here, but I suspect their end will be much nastier than if they’d simply been killed by coalition forces. And hopefully many of the foreigner jihadis will meet a timely denouement as well.

[Update at 8:50 PDT]

Here’s a link to the story from the Kuwaiti news agency.

Careful With That Thing

Jim Oberg emails to point out that many people in the Saddam-on-the-street video are holding and waving weapons. It’s inconceivable that the real Saddam would allow people to be that close to him at all, let alone with automatic rifles. It would be too easy for someone to solve the Iraqi peoples’ problem with a single burst.

Though, I suppose they could have issued guns with empty clips.

Leave None Behind

Pfc. Lynch’s rescuers had no shovel, so they dug up the remains of the others with their bare hands.

The article also has some additional details on ther rescue:

“Jessica Lynch,” called out an American soldier, approaching her bed. “We are United States soldiers and we’re here to protect you and take you home.”

Peering from behind the sheet as he removed his helmet, she looked up and said, “I’m an American soldier, too.”