Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Foreign forces must go, insists Shia ayatollah Hakim
'“We don’t fear these [UKUSA] forces. This nation wants to preserve its independence and the coalition forces must leave this country,” he told a crowd of 4,000 in al-Nasiriyah... Motifs repeated throughout speeches on the trail are: Islam, democracy, Sharia (Islamic law), unity, freedom and tolerance of other religions. Tellingly, he insists repeatedly that Iraqis can “secure” and “rebuild” their own country — one reference a swipe at coalition forces for failing to stop looting, the other a message that General Jay Garner’s Organisation for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance is not needed in Iraq.'

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