Civil War in Iraq "imminent"

AM - Thursday, 23 February , 2006 08:00:00
Reporter: Mark Willacy
TONY EASTLEY: The spectre of full-blown civil war has reared its head in Iraq after insurgents blew up the golden dome of one of Shi'a Islam's holiest shrines.

Thousands of Shi'ites have taken to the streets in cities right across Iraq to protest against the attack on the al-Askari mosque in Samarra, north of Baghdad.

Despite calls for calm from Iraq's most senior Shi'ite cleric, there have been revenge attacks against at least five Sunni Mosques, and at least six Sunnis have been killed.

Iraq's President says Iraqis must work together to avoid civil war.

Middle East Correspondent Mark Willacy reports.

(sound of protestors chanting)

MARK WILLACY: In Baghdad, Basra, Najaf and Karbala, Iraqi Shi'ites poured onto the streets to vent their rage over the attack on the al-Askari shrine.

Just after dawn a group of armed men overpowered guards at the Samarra mosque before detonating two bombs inside the 1,000-year-old complex.

The shimmering dome, covered by 72,000 pieces of gold leaf, was brought down by the blast. All that was left was steel reinforcing and crumbling grey concrete.

This shrine is holy to both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, because it houses the tombs of Islam's 10th and 11th Imams and it's also the site where the 12th or hidden Imam is supposed to have disappeared.

Laith Kubba is an Iraqi Government spokesman.

LAITH KUBBA: It hasn't been touched over the last 1,000 years, not even under Saddam Hussein, any of these shrines were touched.

For somebody to come and target them, not because they wanted to assassinate somebody, but simply to attack the shrine itself is going to unleash the deepest reaction from the Shi'ites across the board, their clerics, their politicians and the masses.

And what's unleashing I think is way beyond what politicians can now manage.

MARK WILLACY: But the politicians are trying to calm angry Shi'ites. Ibrahim al-Jaafari is the Iraqi Prime Minister.

IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI (translated): I'd like to announce three days of mourning on this horrible, tragic occasion. Let us take from this an opportunity to embody the Islamic fraternity and the unity of the Iraqi nation. I appeal to Iraqis to continue their march and maintain the great accomplishments that they've achieved. Let's make this occasion an opportunity to close the road to those who want to undermine national unity.

MARK WILLACY: The Government may have declared three days of mourning, but the country's top Shi'ite cleric believes this crime is so great he's announced a week of mourning.

However, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is urging Shi'ites not to attack Sunni Muslims or their holy places.

But there have been reports that five Sunni mosques in Baghdad alone have been sprayed with gunfire, one has been set ablaze and that at least six Sunni worshippers have been killed.

And hundreds of troops from Iraq's 6th Division have been sent to Sunni neighbourhoods to prevent clashes with angry Shi'ites.

Hussein Sharistani is a leading Shi'ite and the Deputy Parliamentary Speaker.

HUSSEIN SHARISTANI: This is a day of great tragedy for all Iraqis. The crime that has taken place in Samarra is against Iraq, against one of the holiest places in the country, and the whole population is extremely hurt.

MARK WILLACY: Iraqi political leaders from the Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari down say this attack is an attempt to pull Iraq towards civil war.

Deputy speaker Hussein Sharistani accuses foreign insurgents from groups like al-Qaeda of trying to trigger violence between Shi'ites and Sunnis.

HUSSEIN SHARISTANI: It has shown Iraqis that the international terrorists that have come to Iraq, they have come to fight everything, to fight and destroy everything noble, everything holy.

MARK WILLACY: The al-Askari bombing is the third large-scale attack against Shi'ite targets in Iraq in as many days.

Having focussed their efforts on US forces for the past two years, some insurgents now appear to be turning their sights on Iraq's Shi'ites in the hope of provoking all-out sectarian war.

TONY EASTLEY: Middle East Correspondent Mark Willacy.