Interference in Iraq's affairs

Not just for Iran and Syria to do


Beard (Wolf Blitzer) says ``some are suggesting'' the US ``take out... in other words kill'' Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr; mild-mannered senators unfazed by the suggestion

In the wake of the recent slaying of Christian politician Pierre Gemayel in Lebanon, US officials are up in arms over supposed involvement by Syria and Iran in this and other crimes. In the larger picture including Iraq, President Bush has blamed Iran for its ``efforts to destabilize the Middle East.'' Mr. Bush has reminded Iran about ``the Iraqi position about their interference inside their country.''

And now, desperate ``fresh ideas'' are swirling around some diplomatic efforts, including a trip by Vice President Cheney to Saudi Arabia in order to get the Kingdom's help in ``calming the situation in Iraq'' and to plead with them to `` use their influence with Sunni insurgents in Iraq to halt attacks on the country's Shia majority.''

So in light of all this noble effort by US peacemakers, how would this diplomatic move, about which CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer quizzed Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and John Cornyn (R-TX), go over in the region?

BLITZER: Do you think -- I want to take a break, Senator Cornyn, but do you think it's enough for the U.S. or the Iraqi government to arrest Muqtada al-Sadr, this young Shiite cleric, or is it time to take him out as some are suggesting? In other words, kill him.

CORNYN: Well, I would say arrest him, and if he's unable to go peacefully, obviously I think he's a danger to the Iraqis and the Iraqi future in the entire Middle East. We need to disarm him and his militias. Arrest them.

Take them out of action whatever way we need to, and to provide basic security to allow the political process that Jack Reed and others have talked about to go forward. It's not going to do that in a period of such chaos and violence as we're seeing right now.

BLITZER: Senator Reed, kill him if necessary?

REED: I think what you -- that's a decision I think that the Iraqi government would make. But I think if he's -- an arrest warrant is authorized and they go after him, he resists, he becomes a combatant. I would hope we could get him off the scene without making him a martyr.

BLITZER: All right. Gentlemen...

In other words, give al-Sadr the Uday-Qusay-Zarqawi treatment and raise cheers in the quarters of domestic jingoism. But that accomplishes nothing good in Iraq, where al-Sadr has a hell of a lot more followers than does George W. Bush.

Think what you will of al-Sadr. I certainly would not want his militias running my neighborhood. But don't these guys see that assassination for US benefit is going to demonstrate yet again that it is a savage, criminal state that has occupied and continues to interfere in Iraq's business for its own purposes?