This image still makes me sick - one year later

[liberal N proud]

It has been a year since this landmark was destroyed. It makes me sick that places like this get destroyed. This place was sacred to these people and the disregard for these peoples beliefs is numbing.

What the bu$h regime has done to this world will leave a lasting stain on mankind.

Landing on the moon was one small step for mankind and a giant step for mankind. The war in Iraq was one big fuck-up by a man (or monkey) and a giant fuck-up for mankind.

[IndyOp]

1. First thing that popped into my mind:

We are on a mission to destroy each other's centers of power.

They destroy our financial and military centers.

We destroy their religious sites.

And then...

:(

[roody]

8. to destroy their culture.

That's the way it is done.

[maddezmom]

2. Bombed-out mosque stands as monument to year of sectarian violence

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17266148/



Children stand near the Shiite Askariya mosque in Samarra on Feb. 12, nearly a year after it was bombed.

[truedelphi]

3. After the shock and awe campaign

When the museums were looted, when the libraries were looted, I was sick to my stomach.

A nation as old as Iraq has a historical record that belongs to the world.

Those were my museums and libraries, they belonged as well to you and every other American, French national, English person, every Chinese and Pakistani, every Brazilian.And of course, they belonged to all the Iraqi nationals.

Meanwhile assigned American troops guarded only the oil facilities.

The mosque was another blow to the heart, the stomach, and the mind.

[indepat]

4. As are all those who boot-lick and march in lockstep to the beat of the decider's drum

Edited: add two words

[malaise]

5. I'm going to my grave believing that

this landmark was not destroyed by Muslims.

[Mandate My Ass]

6. I'm going to my grave the same way

whether anybody thinks my tinfoil is too tight or not. :tinfoilhat:

It makes perfect sense to me to think it was a false flag op to stir up animosity and keep the fighting going non-stop.

[pampango]

7. If Bush and the neocons are indeed responsible for the bombing

then they are suicide bombers of their own political ambitions. It is precisely the continuing slaughter of civilians in Iraq, which this bombing largely provoked, that has cost them control of Congress could lead to an electoral rout in 2008.

If the Bushbots have half a brain they will realize that the best thing for them would be for the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds to sit around a campfire and sing. Bush would look like a genius and would proclaim that his foreign policy was vindicated. If the RW is too stupid to understand that then they will deserve to be relegated to the wilderness of political oblivion for a couple of decades just like after Watergate.

BTW, there do seem to be some groups in Iraq who do not seem to be very reluctant to bomb nonmilitary Shiite targets, e.g. markets, schools, etc. In spite of this, is it possible that these groups respect Shiite sensibilities enough to not destroy their religious shrines? Possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Inuca]

10. We can't know

At least for now. Unfortunately the chasm between shia and sunni is real, so yes, I can very well believe that sunnis did this to a shia shrine.

[malaise]

11. And yet this Mosque remained intact for

centuries. Look they found Brits dressed up as Arabs so don't rule other the likelihood that others did the same.

[Inuca]

12. I am not ruling anything out

and moreover I am sure that the century-old animosity/hate was fueled by many external factors now. All I was saying is that unfortunately the mutual dislike between the two factions is real and very old.

[Inuca]

9. Destroying what CANNOT be replaced

My history-loving soul sheds special tears when old beautiful things are mindlessly destroyed. Pictures like the one you posted are painful. I remember shortly after Baghdad fell and the chaotic looting began, I was listening to NPR, some history professor or archaeologist, I don't remember exactly, being interviewed about what was happening, and he was pleading with anyone who would listen to just do anything in their power to put an end to what was happening. He was actually crying when he was talking about the loss of irreplaceable treasures that have survived for thousands of years only to be lost now.