[Marxism] Re: Explosion in Iraq Mosque

["Paul Flewers" <trusscott.foundation@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Marvin Gandall wrote: < I don't think there really is a central directing
organization called al-Qaeda anymore than there was an anarchist
international at the turn of the last century -- it's an idea and an
inspiration for scattered, loosely coordinated groups of religious
fundamentalists, mostly Sunni. Bin Laden's group used to run training camps
and provide funding and influenced the Taliban government, but it's a band
of fugitives now.

As far as know, al Qaeda has not targetted Muslims, so the recent attacks in
Iraq are a bit of a puzzle. Anyone hoping to further a Sunni cause by
killing hundreds of Shias is playing with fire in Iraq, where the latter are
an absolute majority in the country, and could wreak terrible revenge upon
the Sunni minority. Nonetheless, as al Qaeda is an extreme religious
organisation, there could be some real frummers amongst its ranks who see
bin Laden as a bit soft, and so might have a go at Shias to prove their
'authentic' adherence to the Wahabi creed.

We can also ask about whose interests are served by the bombings. There are
elements in the imperialist powers -- certainly in France and the USA -- who
see their interests better served by a partitioned Iraq -- a Shia south, a
Kurdish north, and a Sunni centre. A sectarian war between Shias and Sunnis
would be in the interests of the partition advocates.

As for the bombings of the two Kurdish party rallies the other week, that
could be the work of various elements -- Sunni and/or Shia Iraqis worried
that a de facto Kurdish state would rob any new Iraqi regime of the oil-rich
north; the Turkish military, who see any manifestation of Kurdish autonomy
in Iraq as giving encouragement to Turkish Kurds and thereby a threat to
Turkey's territorial integrity.

Paul F


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