Sunni Disposition

Mohammed notes that the remarkable statement late last week from Sunni clerics encouraging Iraqis to join the Iraqi security forces has been attacked by some. Apparently the clerics were far from unanimous about this.

The latest statement from the association [of Muslim Scholars] said that yesterday's fatwa wasn't approved by the secretary or the spokesman of the association explaining that "Um Al-Qura" mosque from which the fatwa in question was released doesn't officially represent the association.

It's obvious that there are major disputes among different wings of the association as the group that signed the fatwa includes members of the association as well as prominent supporters (like the dean of the Islamic studies college) and these people collectively make up a large part of the material and moral base of the association.

I expect this group of men who are trying to choose a more moderate and logical attitude will be subject to great pressures in the future and I think the Syrian regime which supports the radical wing of the association (represented by Harth Al-Dhari) will probably instruct its agents in Iraq to launch an assassination campaigns to eliminate those 64 men.

Let's hope he's wrong. And if he's right, let's hope our military leadership in Iraq understands the threat and will put protective measures in place. Remember, an important goal of terrorists in this case is to identify, and eliminate, the moderates.

And, of course, as Belgravia Dispatch often points out, the Sunnis, now so alienated from us, may end up being our best pals in the new Iraq.

Once the Shi'a begin to engage in displays of crude majoritarianism, once the Kurds heighten their efforts to carve out a highly autonomous republic and discriminate against Arab Sunnis in their midst (reverse Arabization!)--many Sunnis may very well want American troops to stick around to protect their interests.