Right Wing Nut House

Yesterday was the second anniversery of the fall of Bagdhad. Radical Shi’ite cleric Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr took advantage of the occasion to put on a show for the western media while also demonstrating a little of his street cred:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 9 - Tens of thousands of Iraqis marked the second anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein by marching here in the capital on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of American forces. Meanwhile, one of the most lethal insurgent groups warned Iraqis against joining the army or the police force.

Most protesters were followers of Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric who has led several armed uprisings against American forces but who has recently begun to take part in democratic politics.

Despite the symbolism of the day, the rest of Baghdad was mostly quiet. The demonstration was peaceful, and far fewer people took part than the one million Mr. Sadr’s aides had predicted. Representatives of the Association of Muslim Scholars, a leading group of Sunni clerics that has expressed sympathy for the guerrilla insurgency, said its followers had taken part in the march.

In fact, there was another demonstration in Iraq. You know…the one you didn’t hear about.

Iraqis take to the streets on the second anniversary of the liberation of Baghdad. Iraqi government declared it as national day, the day Iraq was freed from Saddam’s barbaric rule. Many of the banners call for the Trial of Saddam and his gang. Other banners condemn terrorist and terrorism. Al-Sadr (who received no seats in the current parliament, because very few voted for him) is taking this opportunity to call for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq. His request is counter to what the elected government is asking for.

HT: Powerline)

A couple of interesting points: First, as the Powerline correspondent points out, the holy Sheik didn’t win a single vote in parliament. Not one. Any political clout he has is negative in that he only has the power to destroy, not build. And the Iraqi people are aware of that which is why he fell a little short of his guarantee of a million man march:

The protest in Baghdad’s famous Firdos Square was the largest anti-American demonstration since the U.S.-led invasion, but the turnout was far less than the 1 million called for by radical Shi’ite cleric Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr.

“I do not accept having occupation forces in my country,” said protester Ali Feleih Hassan, 35. “No one accepts this. I want them out. They have been here for two years, and now they have to set a timetable for their withdrawal

Something that went completely over the head of the reporter is that Mr. Hassan is not threatening to kill, maim, behead, or otherwise harm American soldiers. He wants us to set a “timetable for withdrawal”!

That’s the best kind of progress.

Also, the holy Sheik’s demonstration featured all sorts of carefully made and very artistic signs. What made me notice them was that they were all in English. Do you think that had anything to do with the fact that the demonstration was crawling with western reporters? I knew you’d think that.

Conversely, all the signs at the pro-liberation rally were in Arabic. What does that tell you? Either none of the thousands of Iraqi’s supporting liberation speak English or they were more concerned about getting a point across to their own countrymen rather than lefty moonbats in the US.

Not to be outdone in the anti-Americanism, the moonbats at the Democratic Underground just about had an orgasm looking at all the pretty pictures of American flags burning and signs (again, in English) comparing Bush to Hitler and Saddam:

Here’s a sampling of their “thinking” on the subject:

The effigies should all have bloody hands

In Iraq they (women) used to be more emancipated than in most Muslim countries. (And don’t forget the kites!)

I long for the 60s and REAL news with Walter…(REAL???)

THIS is what DEMOCRACY looks like! Hot Damn!

YES!! The Linkage of Bush, Blair AND Saddam is brilliant! That needs to be shown more often!

Very slowly, Iraq is learning what a democracy is. If al Sadr can turn out 100,000 people good for him. Now let’s see him translate that into votes. Only then will any of his protests carry any weight with the Iraqi people. Along with these demonstrations, the Iraqi’s also made good progress toward forming a national unity government this week. All in all, two years after the fact, the Iraqi’s are proving that they have what it takes to make their own democracy and not have one imposed on them from the outside by the United States.