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EDITORIAL

September 2, 2005

Original Article (English)    

Unfortunately, things only seem to go from bad to worse for millions of suffering Iraqis since March 2003, when the USA brought its so-called War on Terror to Baghdad. Riding a crescendo of constantly escalating violence, the latest news of approximately 1,000 dead in a Baghdad stampede is most disturbing. The confusion was apparently triggered by rumors of a suicide attack, after mortar fire killed at least seven people in a procession comprised of thousands of Shia mourners. In the ensuing frenzy, a large majority of the mutilated and dead were women, children and old people. 

A Young Boy Killed in Thursday's Stampede. Almost 1,000 Lost Their Lives.

It should be noted that in the present circumstances, such a large, sectarian procession was bound to catch the eye of the Sunni-dominated insurgency, bent on destabilizing Iraq by any means. At the same time, a hidden hand trying to sharpen sectarian differences might have exploited the situation. Indeed, the Iraqi prime minister sees the terrorists’ resort to mortar fire rather than suicide attack as nothing less than the success of his overall security operation, which means they had rightly expected an attack.

However, the fact that close to 1,000 people died in what turned out to be the deadliest day since the war speaks volumes about how easy it has become to spark fear, and how close to the proverbial straw is to breaking the camel’s back. All this while the neo-con lobby in Washington refuses to accept that the insurgency has gained the upper hand and Iraq is out of control.

The fallout from the stampede is not likely to be any less disturbing. According to reports from Baghdad it was another “well timed” terrorist attack that turned out well for the insurgents and was not directly sectarian in nature. However, considering the precarious situation at present, it is more than likely to ignite Shiite-Sunni antagonism and push Iraq closer to civil war. The situation is made worse not only because Sunnis form the bulk of the insurgency, but they are also growing more insecure after losing centuries of dominance.

Then there is the draft constitution, which the Sunni leaders want to defeat in the upcoming referendum. This means that Shiite-Sunni relations, never warm, may take an even chillier dip in coming days.

Iraqis Donate Blood for Pilgrims Injured In Wednesday's Stampede
—BBC NEWS VIDEO: Iraqi Stampede an Overwhelming Tragedy, Sept. 2, 00:01:43

However, one thing is quite apparent. The violence will begin to recede only when the occupying forces pack their bags and go home.

How ironic that the helpless, hapless people of Iraq must now reflect on the days of Saddam with nostalgia. It is most difficult to comprehend how the War on Terror is serving to curb the violence.

VIDEO FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD: 'PEOPLE SHOULD REJECT NEW IRAQI CONSTITUTION'

Sheik Hareth Al-Dhari