Saturday, May 22, 2004

Securing the Middle East

If I'm not mistaken, one of the major components of the neocon PNAC was that taking Iraq was an important step in an end goal of creating a calm and stable Middle East.

And if I'm not mistaken again, I don't think it's working out quite that way.

Shi'ite Muslims took to the streets in three Middle Eastern capitals on Friday in sometimes violent protests against the U.S. military presence in Iraq's Shi'ite shrine cities, witnesses said.

Angry Bahrainis clashed with security forces in the capital Manama and set a police car on fire after police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of mainly Shi'ite demonstrators demanding that U.S. troops leave Najaf and Kerbala in southern Iraq.

More than 20 people were hurt in the clash.

In Tehran, protesters hurled petrol bombs and stones at the British embassy for the third time in less than a week to denounce the presence of Western forces in Iraq.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese Shi'ites in white shrouds marched in a Beirut suburb in a collective show of willingness to die in defense of holy shrines in U.S.-occupied Iraq.
  Reuters article via Iraq Net

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.