It was perhaps inevitable that it would come to this. Democratic elections will not heal this rift. Now: is it the responsibility of the U.S. government and military to try to heal it? Is it really in the best interests of the West to give the Shi’ites money to rebuild the Golden Mosque when the Shi’ite mullahocracy of Iran is spending its money trying to develop nuclear weapons with which to threaten the West and, ultimately, destroy it? Wouldn’t it be a better defense against the global jihad to do nothing about this, compelling the Iranians, if they value the Golden Mosque, to divert time and energy to its rebuilding — thereby buying us at least a little time to determine how best to disable their nuclear program?
From AP:
SAMARRA, Iraq – Insurgents posing as police destroyed the golden dome of one of Iraq’s holiest Shiite shrines Wednesday, setting off an unprecedented spasm of sectarian violence. Angry crowds thronged the streets, militiamen attacked Sunni mosques, and at least 19 people were killed.
With the gleaming dome of the 1,200-year-old Askariya shrine reduced to rubble, some Shiites lashed out at the United States as partly to blame.
The violence “” many of the 90 attacks on Sunni mosques were carried out by Shiite militias “” seemed to push Iraq closer to all-out civil war than at any point in the three years since the U.S.-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Many leaders called for calm. “We are facing a major conspiracy that is targeting Iraq’s unity,” said President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd. “We should all stand hand in hand to prevent the danger of a civil war.”
President Bush pledged American help to restore the mosque after the bombing north of Baghdad, which dealt a severe blow to U.S. efforts to keep Iraq from falling deeper into sectarian violence.
“The terrorists in Iraq have again proven that they are enemies of all faiths and of all humanity,” Bush said. “The world must stand united against them, and steadfast behind the people of Iraq.”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair also condemned the bombing and pledged funds toward the shrine’s reconstruction….
Some Shiite political leaders already were angry with the United States because it has urged them to form a government in which nonsectarian figures control the army and police. Khalilzad warned this week “” in a statement clearly aimed at Shiite hard-liners “” that America would not continue to support institutions run by sectarian groups with links to armed militias.