Sunday, April 04, 2004
The latest from Baghdad offers the troubling news that Shiite radicalism has now targeted the coalition. Sadr has really been stoking the fires with his rhetoric lately - praising 9/11 was a signature moment - and it looks as though he's been seeking it.
There's really no other way than to meet this with the requisite force while appealing to moderate Shiites to stay the course. Sadr doesn't speak for all Shiites or even a majority of them - his street rep has often been that of an immature hothead. So long as the coalition can outflank him with more established and pragmatic Shiite voices, it can come out on top. But knuckling to him will be deadly. This is a dangerous moment but the only thing to do is keep one's head and hold on.
There's really no other way than to meet this with the requisite force while appealing to moderate Shiites to stay the course. Sadr doesn't speak for all Shiites or even a majority of them - his street rep has often been that of an immature hothead. So long as the coalition can outflank him with more established and pragmatic Shiite voices, it can come out on top. But knuckling to him will be deadly. This is a dangerous moment but the only thing to do is keep one's head and hold on.
