The Shi'ite Hits the Fan

This cannot be good.

I can't believe that after all that has happened over the past two weeks that the U.S. military is doing this. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should.

According to all 'official' reports, al-Sadr's support is on the wane. It is baffling as to why the U.S. has stepped up it's military campaign against Sadr's Mehdi army - unless the official reports have been lacking in veracity. Nah. Couldn't be.

I think with the incursion into Najaf's holy "Valley of Peace" cemetery in addition to today's report of Imam Ali's shrine being hit - with four large holes in the shrine's golden dome being reported - the U.S. is likely to bring fresh anger to the Shia majority.

For some additional color as to what the shrine and cemetery mean to the Shi'tes, listen here.

I know that this is already another 'he said, she said' situation, but that does nothing to address the fact that the U.S. is in Iraq illegally. Right, Mr. Perle?

May we gain the wisdom to use force more discriminately.

It's weird. If we brainstormed to develop policies to foment al-Qaeda recruitment, I don't think we could do any better.

Is that what we are really trying to do? I'm no conspiracy 'theorist,' but if I was...