Word: sectarianism
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...blame for the bloodshed on foreign terrorists. They point to a call for instigating civil strife that was contained in an intercepted letter allegedly written by Jordanian terrorist chieftain Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi. Said Bremer: "We know they did this as part of an effort to promote sectarian violence among Muslims ... because they believe that is the only way to stop Iraq's march toward the democracy terrorists fear." In the aftermath of Tuesday's carnage, Iraqi leaders of all stripes were quick to urge their constituents not to turn on ethnic or religious rivals. But U.S. Army General John...
...Zarqawi operations do not involve Iraqis. Al-Zarqawi [has said] that when democracy comes to Iraq, there will be no pretext for continuing the attacks. He also recognizes that there is very little support here for his terrorists. Therefore, his only way forward is to try to provoke a sectarian war between Shias and Sunnis...
...Tuesday's bombings delayed formal adoption by the Iraqi Governing Council of an interim constitution whose draft was finally agreed last Sunday after months of bitter wrangling. But Iraqi leaders presented a united front in condemning the attacks and urging Iraqis against responding to sectarian provocations. Despite deep differences, they share a common interest in keeping the transition process on track, and most sought to put the blame for Tuesday's massacre on foreign elements, such as the al-Qaeda-linked Jordanian fugitive Musab al-Zarqawi, dedicated to fomenting a civil war. The message: Don't fall into this bloody...
...even as he blamed foreign extremists, the spiritual leader of Iraq's Shiite majority, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, also held the U.S. responsible for failing to provide adequate security. Shiite warnings against being provoked into sectarian reprisals against their Sunni countrymen were accompanied by a restatement of the urgency of restoring Iraqi sovereignty...
...Tuesday's attacks, however, underscore the enormity of the task ahead. Everyone concerned with security in Iraq had plenty of reason to expect that terrorists seeking sectarian warfare would seek to turn the festival of Ashoura, in which millions of Shiite worshippers mass in the streets, into a bloodbath. And yet, for all the extra security precautions put in place, the anticipated carnage could not be stopped. It's not hard to imagine how the architects of Tuesday's attacks might respond to the prospect of Shiites massed outside polling stations once election day comes. Still, the Shiites have made...