Gunner's Blog

Behind the Sunni-Shi'ite Divide
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007

By BOBBY GHOSH / BAGHDAD

"...I. ORIGINS
ISLAM'S SCHISM BEGAN IN A.D. 632, immediately after the Prophet Muhammad died without naming a successor as leader of the new Muslim flock. Some of his followers believed the role of Caliph, or viceroy of God, should be passed down Muhammad's bloodline, starting with his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib. But the majority backed the Prophet's friend Abu Bakr, who duly became Caliph. Ali would eventually become the fourth Caliph before being murdered in A.D. 661 by a heretic near Kufa, now in Iraq. The succession was once again disputed, and this time it led to a formal split. The majority backed the claim of Mu'awiyah, Governor of Syria, and his son Yazid. Ali's supporters, who would eventually be known collectively as Shi'at Ali, or partisans of Ali, agitated for his son Hussein. When the two sides met on a battlefield near modern Karbala on Oct. 10, 680, Hussein was killed and decapitated. But rather than nipping the Shi'ite movement in the bud, his death gave it a martyr. In Shi'ite eyes, Hussein is a just and humane figure who stood up to a mighty oppressor. The annual mourning of Hussein's death, known as Ashura, is the most poignant and spectacular of Shi'ite ceremonies: the faithful march in the streets, beating their chests and crying in sorrow. The extremely devout flagellate themselves with swords and whips.

Those loyal to Mu'awiyah and his successors as Caliph would eventually be known as Sunnis, meaning followers of the Sunnah, or Way, of the Prophet. Since the Caliph was often the political head of the Islamic empire as well as its religious leader, imperial patronage helped make Sunni Islam the dominant sect. Today about 90% of Muslims worldwide are Sunnis. But Shi'ism would always attract some of those who felt oppressed by the empire. Shi'ites continued to venerate the Imams, or the descendants of the Prophet, until the 12th Imam, Mohammed al-Mahdi (the Guided One), who disappeared in the 9th century at the location of the Samarra shrine in Iraq. Mainstream Shi'ites believe that al-Mahdi is mystically hidden and will emerge on an unspecified date to usher in a reign of justice.

Shi'ites soon formed the majority in the areas that would become the modern states of Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and Azerbaijan. There are also significant Shi'ite minorities in other Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Pakistan. Crucially, Shi'ites outnumber Sunnis in the Middle East's major oil-producing regions--not only Iran and Iraq but also eastern Saudi Arabia. But outside Iran, Sunnis have historically had a lock on political power, even where Shi'ites have the numerical advantage. (The one place where the opposite holds true is modern Syria, which is mostly Sunni but since 1970 has been ruled by a small Shi'ite subsect known as the Alawites.) Sunni rulers maintained their monopoly on power by excluding Shi'ites from the military and bureaucracy; for much of Islamic history, a ruling Sunni élite treated Shi'ites as an underclass, limited to manual labor and denied a fair share of state resources.

The rulers used religious arguments to justify oppression. Shi'ites, they said, were not genuine Muslims but heretics. Devised for political convenience, this view of Shi'ites solidified into institutionalized prejudice. Sunnis likened reverence for the Prophet's bloodline and the Shi'ites' fondness for portraits of some of the Imams to the sin of idolatry. Shi'ite rituals, especially the self-flagellation during Ashura, were derided as pagan. Many rulers forbade such ceremonies, fearing that large gatherings would quickly turn into political uprisings. (Ashura was banned during most of Saddam Hussein's rule and resumed only after his downfall in 2003.) "For Shi'ites, Sunni rule has been like living under apartheid," says Vali Nasr, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future.

But religious repression was uneven. Sunni Caliphs in Baghdad tolerated and sometimes contributed to the development of Najaf and Karbala as the most important centers of Shi'ite learning. Shi'ite ayatullahs, as long as they refrained from open defiance of the ruling élite, could run seminaries and collect tithes from their followers. The shrines of Shi'ite Imams in Najaf, Karbala, Samarra and Khadamiya were allowed to become magnets for pilgrimage.

Sectarian relations worsened in the 16th century. By then the seat of Sunni power had moved to Istanbul. When the Turkish Sunni Ottomans fought a series of wars with the Shi'ite Safavids of Persia, the Arabs caught in between were sometimes obliged to take sides. Sectarian suspicions planted then have never fully subsided, and Sunni Arabs still pejoratively label Shi'ites as "Persians" or "Safavis." The Ottomans eventually won control of the Arab territories and cemented Sunni dominance. The British, the next power in the Middle East, did nothing to change the equation. In the settlement after World War I, they handed the newly created states of Iraq and Bahrain, both with Shi'ite majorities, to Sunni monarchs...."
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The above is an portion of an article in the March 5 issue of TIME.

Over the last few years, I have spent many hours trying to get my mind around the conflict between the Shi'ite and the Sunni. TIME has a very, very good article that is the best I have read. I highly recommend the article to each and everyone. The article is a long one, but packed with information that is critical to understanding the problems faced in creating a government formed by the two factions with the additional problems brought to the table by the Curds.

You really should get the magazine, and read the full article.

~G

Labels: Caliph, Iraq, Muslim, Shi'ite, Sunni, Time Magazine

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release


IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 198-07 February 20, 2007

The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy have begun a review of the medical care provided at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center to those wounded in service to their country. To complement these efforts an independent review group will be formed to look into outpatient care and administrative processes at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

The group shall promptly conduct its work and report its findings and provide recommendations to the Secretaries of the Army and Navy and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

“The quality of medical and rehabilitative care for all service members at our DoD facilities is second to none,” said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. “We are committed to improving the clinical and administrative processes, including improving temporary living conditions for our service members and their families.”

The group will have unrestricted access to all facilities and personnel and will be provided appropriate assistance and administrative support to conduct this review.

The group shall also have a special advisor not serving as a member of the group, who can provide special advice and expertise in the area of social work, rehabilitation, psychological counseling and family support issues.


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I never knew that DOD "owned" Walter Reid Army Hospital and Naval Hospital Bethesda, MD. This information certainly explains a lot of things. For years, the Army, Navy and VA have been taking hits for what is apparently a problem that belongs to DOD. No GD wonder that things are so bad there. More proof that six years of Rummy and Company can ruin anything. At one time, Walter Reid and Bethesda provided top notch world renown care for their patients.

~G

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02/22/07

There was an article in the Washington Post (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001574.html) wherein the Army Secretary Francis Harvey is quoted as saying "We had some NCOs [noncommissioned officers] who weren't doing their job, period,"

What a crock - He should go the way that Rummy went. I urge everyone to call upon President Bush to fire the SOB. I will be writing him as soon as I click the "Publish" button.

~G

Labels: Bldg 18., Secretary of the Army, Walter Reed

From: M.S. Golden

To: Veterans, family and friends;

In response to the concerns expressed, I contacted Robin Owen (Person in charge of issuing event permits for the National Mall area) of the National park Service via telephone this morning and was very convincingly informed and assured of the following:

1.) There will be a 300 yard perimeter comprised of double snow fence barriers with an ample number mounted, foot police, riot reaction squad nearby, and intelligence personal on scene, to ensure that the conditions of the permit granted to the antiwar activists are not violated. E.G. the assembly point is in an appointed area on the eastern end of the grounds (Knoll) and they will not be allowed in the proximity of the wall. A Similar exclusion zone applies area and approaches from Constitution Ave. So net effect ... no protesters within 300 yd's.

2.) That ALL laws will be vigorously enforced and prosecuted in terms of any violence, vandalism,or, threat to public safety. This was stated emphatically.

3.) About an hour later, I received a phone call from Sgt, Booker of the Park Police saying he had been asked by Robin Owen to reiterate the policy and to reinforce her statements to me and answer any further questions I may have on the Park Police law enforcement polices.

Sgt. Booker stated even MORE emphatically that the Park Police consider the Wall as sacred ground, as we do, (As did Robin Owen) themselves, and that they WILL enforce any, and all laws, relevant to it's integrity. And, any concerns we may have stemming from the non-enforcement of the law by the Capitol Police last weekend are not relevant to his Dept. They WILL arrest and prosecuted anyone who breaks the law.

4.) The Wall will be open for visiting to the general public as usual ... if any of you care to do so on that day.

Vietnam veterans are asking veterans, their families and friends, active duty military personal, as well as the like-minded public, to join us in emailing, calling, and writing, the National Park Service robbin_owen@nps.gov (1-202 619-7225) and Vietnam Memorial Fund vvmf@vvmf.org (202) 393-0090 Fax: (202) 393-0029 asking them to take any and all legal action to prohibit the planned anti-war demonstration on March 17, 2007 at,the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Further, to demand that the appropriate law enforcement agencies stringently enforce the law as it pertains to defacement of public edifices, monuments, and property.

We are very concerned, in light of recent events, there will be a repetition of the vandalism that occurred at last weekend's antiwar protest has a real potential to reoccur at the upcoming event, and that the police again will be prevented from enforcing the law by their superiors. We will not allow the Vietnam War Memorial be vandalized, spray painted, or in any way be defaced, as was the U.S. Congress during last weekend's antiwar protest when police were ordered to retreat in the face of leftist radicals who defiled our nation's seat of government. If the police are similarly prevented in doing their job as they were in the case of the U.S. Congress, we veterans are more than willing and able to form a "human honor guard" (peacefully) to prevent a similar sacrilege to the nation's property and to what we consider hollowed ground, and our war's collective tombstone.

We do not object to public protest. Many of us have fought, bled, and died, to provide (and protect) the citizenry the right to free assembly.

We do however, strongly object the use of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a backdrop and stage for political gain. And, we take it as an affront to our fallen comrade-in-arms and to their honor that the antiwar movement's organizers and supporters would be so insensitive, inconsiderate, and boorish, as to even consider it as suitable location for political theater.

It is scared ground and should be considered as such.

This is a very emotional issue to many veterans and the potential for confrontation is very high. In the interest of the sensitivities of the veterans and that of public safety and good order, we ask the you to use your good offices and influence to convince antiwar movement's organizers to reconsider their choice of assembly point, and relocate it to a less emotionally charged area.

Semper Fi
Michael S. Golden

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I received the above letter via email from Del - a Vet residing in Raleigh, NC.

I have thought very deeply about the situation for two days, and hope that the National Park Service Police adopts a zero tolerance posture with regard to vandalizing of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Three Brothers and the Women's Memorial. I am very afraid that many of our Vietnam Vets have a bitter taste in their mouths from the conduct of Ms. Fonda, et al during that conflict. In some cases, they could easily go absolutely ballistic at the first sign of vandalism of the monument, or even worse, the first drop of blood shed by a vet at the hands of Cindy Sheehan and/or her followers. In a worst case scenario, it could turn into a blood bath.

I am not going, because I fear that I might be the one that goes ballistic. I don't pray very often, but I am praying that no-one is injured on March 17 - from either side of aisle. I urge those that are not absolutely sure that they can maintain their "cool" to skip this one - again, from both sides of the aisle. Maybe next time.

~g

CALL FOR SUPPORT: On March 17, 2007 Anti-War Demonstration and March to the Pentagon to Assemble at theVIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS,SUPPORTERS, AFFILIATES, FRIENDS OF ROLLING THUNDER®; ALL MILITARY, VETERANS AND PATRIOTS.

CRITICALLY IMPERATIVE:MEET AT THE WALL 1000 HOURS / 17 MARCH 2007

IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PROTESTERS PLAN ON GOING RIGHT THROUGH THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE WALL / THREE MAN STATUE/AND THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL. IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS MEMORIALS, THE SANCTITY OF THE WALL AND DEFEND OUR TROOPS THAT ARE IN IRAQ AND FIGHTING EACH AND EVERY HOUR FOR OUR COUNTRY.

At the anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. 2 weeks ago there was ALOT of damage done at the Capitol steps. We cannot and will not allow this to happen at The Wall or to any of our memorials.

For Complete Details Visit Gathering of Eagles: http://gatheringofeagles.org

LET’S BE SPECIFIC

Due to the thunderous applause that I received from the far-left over the “I Am Tired” letter written by one of our troops in Iraq, I thought it prudent to follow up with one last attempt to be very specific about what I have observed and actually personally encountered during my 36 years of service to this Great Country. This will be a one time attempt to reach some of those who are confused by the far-left and their ilk’s unethical rantings and give some insight through my personal experience as a professional military officer over the years. These examples are but a few. In real life there were many more which space and time will not allow.

As a young fighter pilot, flying F-4s in Vietnam, I was stopped in my tracks by the decisions made by Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara. I was young and naive, but even then I knew their daily interference was wrong and would not allow us to win this thing and go home. Decisions like not allowing us to strike enemy aircraft while still on the ground, keeping real targets off the target list, and allowing us to strike only rusted-out trucks made us basically a toothpick factory. However, the big one for me came the day I saw the President Lyndon Johnson on television, forcefully lying to the American people. I’ll never forget the language, “I want to assure the American people that the United States of America has never, and will never, bomb or use force inside the borders of Cambodia”. On and on he disavowed the reports that this was happening. I was amazed. Guess where I had put several F-4 loads of 750 pound general purpose bombs every day for the past five days. You guessed it, Cambodia!!! So much for Mr. Johnson. The only question in my mind was simply, “Was it just Johnson or was it the methodology of a particular political party?” I decided to delay answering that question until more experience was gained.

Years passed, and I ignored politics as much as possible, as a good military man should. Then came Jimmy Carter. Our young people don’t remember 18% interest rates and 18% inflation, but I’ll bet someone in your family does. That is one really bad thing Carter did for our country, but it is not the worst. During this period, I was an F-15 Squadron Commander, located at Langley AFB, VA. Jimmy Carter and his democratic party stopped spare parts procurement for almost every weapon system in our military, and diverted the funds to social programs. The F-15 was brand new at the time with leading edge technology designed to provide air superiority anywhere in the world on a moments notice. That was my job. I loved it, but guess what? In a two year period from 1979 to 1981, there was not one day when more that one-third of my assigned aircraft were flyable. It is amazing the lengths we went to in those days, cannibalizing parts, expending twice the time and energy to fix every little item, and still two-thirds of the birds were always broken because of no spare parts. Had this country faced a really serious military threat during that time frame, only Montana Hunters could have saved us. The military had some equipment, but it was all broken. Do you want to know the really bad part for me and the young fighter pilots working for me? Our flying sortie rate was so low that pilot proficiency dropped to dangerous levels. The accident rate tripled. That obviously was totally unacceptable, as we were losing expensive airplanes and highly trained young pilots at a rate comparable to losses seen in actual combat. All of a sudden, even a Texas Aggie like me began to see a trend.

Forward a few years to 1986. I am an F-16 Wing Commander at MacDill AFB, Florida, and Ronald Regan is president. His change in attitude and policy toward the military had time to fix the spare parts problem. We were flying 26,000 flying sorties per year out of MacDill AFB, my aircraft fully mission capable rate (FMC) was above 90%, the aircraft accident rate was below 1.75 per hundred thousand flying hours, fighter pilots were flying and proficiency levels were at an all time high. The United States Air Force was ready to defend this Wonderful Country. Proof of the pudding is simple. Look what the USAF, and the military in general, accomplished in Iraq during Desert Storm. And, they did it in less than 100 hours. Yeah, at this point I was starting to realize there was a difference in mentality between Democrats and Republicans, or should I say, the Right and the Left.

Then, came everyone’s favorite---Bill Clinton. If there ever was an individual 180 degrees out of sync with the ideals and the values of the US military, it was Clinton. He was a known draft dodger, military hating, self absorbed, unspeakingly shameless and immoral individual, who the Left managed to elect President of the United States of America. Clinton’s antics in the White House would have brought court martial, conviction, and Dishonorable Discharge had he been a military member. We still suffer oral sex on school buses, because the President told the world it wasn’t real sex, and some of our children believed him. It took a lot of years, but now I became certain. There is a big difference in the right and the left on all fronts, and for the first time I started feeling angry and shamed that the majority of the American people were actually willing to vote for such an individual.

Sometimes, an abstract such as the following tells the story in very simple terms: Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, George Soros, Ted Kennedy, Howard Dean, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Nancy Pelosi, Barbra Boxer, John Kerry, Benedict Arnold, and the list goes on. America, wake up. In my opinion, giving in to the likes of these people could allow Abraham Lincoln’s prediction of destruction from within to come true. There is not a country in the world that can be considered a conventional military threat to the United States today. However, this country faces a new kind of threat---one that will not go away. It is a threat even more serious that WWII, because money, industry and technology will not defeat it. It is a threat of defeat from within. It is a threat of a faltering economy because of a lack of resources, or the even the simple threat of such a loss brought on by terrorism. It is a threat created by the American people trusting the inept. It is a threat created by the people wanting change, and perilously believing that the left can successfully deliver that change. Have you seen anything from the left that remotely resembles an answer to the Iraq situation? Have you seen anything more than continued Bush-Bashing? Is that an answer? If there was ever a need for a strong, well trained military, it is now. THE LEFT HAS HISTORICALLY DISMANTLED OUR MILITARY IN THE NAME OF REDISTRUBITION OF WEALTH FAVORING SOCIAL PROGRAMS. We just cannot afford to let that happen now. If we do, the entire country may be bowing to the east several times a day within the next 50 years, maybe sooner.

Now a final thought meant to upset as many as possible on the far-left. As you might guess, I don’t believe in political correctness. So, let’s look at the facts, not far-left rhetoric attempting to empower the democratic party. Initially, I was not a George Bush fan. I am not even a Republican. I normally vote Republican, because of my total despise of Communism, Socialism and the far-left in this country. I am a Conservative. However, during his watch, I feel President Bush just happened to stumble upon the leading edge of the greatest threat this country has ever faced. Mistakes have been made, because of the newness of the threat. Overall, the President has done a superb job dealing the threat, and at the same time held off the constant ranting, raving, deceitful and malicious escapades of the far-left attempting to regain political power. IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND BACK OUR PRESIDENT, IT IS RIGHT NOW. WITHOUT CONCENSUS WE ARE EMPOWERING THE TERRORIST!!!! I feel the far-left is totally absorbed with a power struggle and regaining control of congress. They could care less about defeating the threat. It literally disgusts me to hear the constant disagreement with everything the President tries to do, all in the name of trying to make him look bad to the voters. Unfortunately, by the time the American people really appreciate how bad the far-left really is, it may too late.

What are the real facts? On the home front this country’s economy is the strongest that it has been in my lifetime. Interest rates are as low as they were when I was in high school forty years ago. Inflation does not exist for all practical purposes. For you youngster’s, please remember the Jimmy Carter comments? The Dow is approaching 13,000. Unemployment is nonexistent. Wages are at an all time high. Home ownership is at an all time high. Taxes have been lowered to an almost acceptable level. Because of the surging economy the deficient is under control and projected to go away far ahead of schedule. The far-left is rich beyond its wildest dreams, so Mr. President when are you going to “fix” all these domestic problems? Give me a break!!!!

On the war front this country has not been touched since 2001. I remember being part of a seminar at the USAF War College in 1983 discussing the terrorist threat. There were some good minds at that table and a lot of disagreement. However, one common thought was that the US would be hit within the next five years. Answers to the terrorist threat were just as hard to come by then as they are now. Well, it took a little longer than the projection, but the attack occurred. For an old military guy like me, the main point here is that it has not happened again. We have suckered the bad guys into entering the fight somewhere other than in our country. To hell with political correctness. The President can’t say this, but I sure can. I smile every morning when I get up and realize that one of our great cities has not been blown away. And, there is zero doubt in my mind that if we pull out of Iraq prematurely, that will happen within a short period of time after our departure. I don’t care what you might think of President Bush personally. He has done the best he can with what he has, and this country is not smoking because of it. So, the anti-American, Bush hating far-left should back off. They honestly don’t have a clue about what they are talking about, and they are doing irreparable damage to our country.

I realize there are different points of view on war, and I do not believe the meek will inherit the earth, at least not in the next few hundred years. To those of the far-left, who will undoubtedly respond to this letter, let me say, “This is a strong country!!!” It has survived the uneducated thinking of the far-left before, and I’ll just bet it will again. Regardless of who is President, the people will not tolerate mass explosions on a daily basis, as our good friends in Israel have been forced to do. To protect that position of power, even Hillary will be forced to become a true hawk. To guarantee a few more votes Ted Kennedy may be forced to begin supporting a strong military. One more attack on America might even wipe the giddy, ‘I-am-finally-somebody’ grin from Nancy Pelosi’s face, and make her realize that is not about votes and personal power. IT IS ABOUT PROTECTING THIS GREAT COUNTRY FROM ALL ENEMIES, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.

Jimmy L. Cash, Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.

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The above was PODcast by JR on Talk Show America this morning. In the words of JR, the points made couldn't be made any clearer. I found out that our government lies at the tender age of 21 while on a destroyer out of DesRon 25 in Pearl Harbor. In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower denied that the US had any ships in the Straits of Formosa. When I read the article in the newspaper, we had been running blockade for the Chinese Nationalists of Formosa for six weeks. For those of you under 60, you probably don't even know about the situation that existed back then. Formosa had a blockade imposed by the Red Chinese. The US was an allies of President Chaing Kai-shek and we were running interference to allow their trading partners to continue shipping goods in and out of Formosa. That lie was a crushing blow to me, and I haven't completely gotten over it yet. I don't think that BGen Cash has either.

Listen to BGen Cash's PODCast letter at the following URL:

http://talkshowamerica.podomatic.com/

~G