WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 — President Bush met Monday with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of the most powerful Shiite leaders in Iraq, and urged him to "reject the extremists that are trying to stop the advance of this young democracy."
The meeting with Mr. Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, was part of an effort by the White House to shore up the fragile government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki by reaching out to a wider circle of Iraqi politicians.
The hourlong session in the Oval Office plunged Mr. Bush deep into the intricate web of Iraqi politics. Mr. Hakim is a fierce rival of Moktada al-Sadr, the radical anti-American Shiite cleric who has thrown his weight behind Mr. Maliki and whose militia is widening the country’s sectarian divide through the killings of Sunni Arabs.
This is one of the most astounding stories of the year century, although, granted, the century is new. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq is a religious political party backed by Iran. I realize Mr Bu$h is heartily in favor of any political party backed by a religion, but this is probably the wrong religion, and the wrong party, for us to associate ourselves with.
The White House wants Mr. Maliki to lessen his dependence on Mr. Sadr; one way to advance that cause would be to bolster Mr. Hakim’s ties with Mr. Maliki. Mr. Hakim is also a political rival of Mr. Maliki’s.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the president said he told Mr. Hakim that he was "not satisfied with the pace of progress in Iraq," though he said he was "proud of the courage of the Iraqi people." He also said he appreciated Mr. Hakim’s commitment to the unity government, and his "strong position against the murder of innocent life."
Prime Minister Maliki, put down that cobra. Here, grasp this asp.
After all, this is the religion that Bu$hCo and its yapping dogs of the wrongwing blogotariat have spent the last five years demonizing as the greatest danger western civilization has ever faced. This is the religion (and the country) that is the backer, supplier, foundation, base and whatever-other-nouns you want to include, of the Islamofascist monsters that want to turn American cities into smoking holes, mushroom clouds and gaping craters. This is the religion (and the country) that wants to sneak in over our helpless, desperately undefended borders and hide under our beds until the middle of the night when they will leap out, shrieking "Allah ul’ Aqbar!" in their crazed hoarse vengeful voices of vicious hatred, chop off our heads, rape our daughters, wrap them up in burqas and force our sons to convert to their Satanic religion, and then go on a murder spree the likes of which western civiliazation has never seen.
Or something like that.
Seriously, is no one in Big Media awake? Are they so lulled to sleep with their payoffs from Bu$hCo that they are incapable of remembering the fact that just last week, Iran was part of the axis of evil?
Or is it more the fact that Mr Bu$h has finally struggled out of his alcohol-induced fog of incomprehension far enough to understand that there are no more friends of Poppy to save him from his latest stupidity? Is he really reduced to the ignominy of begging his enemies to get him out of the mess he has created in Iraq?