Coincidence. posted by Richard Seymour

God is over-rated, what with that reputation for 'mysterious ways' and alluringly delphic appearances to the ancient and mad. If He really does go to all the trouble of existence, He's utterly predictable. (That's right - I don't take no shit from the Man).

For instance, here is an extraordinary coincidence. Last week a pair of SAS under-cover operatives were caught shooting at Iraqi policemen in Basra. Their car was packed with a small arsenal including, Iraqi authorities alleged, explosive equipment.

Today, a bomb targeted the home of the anti-occupation activist Moqtada al-Sadr's bodyguard in Najaf, killing six people.


Basra "breadbasket": British soldier pacifies angry local.

Some of the stories reporting this note that al-Sadr has been in conflict with the religious sectarians and occupation collaborators, the Badr Corps, who are trained and supported by Iran (whose government also supported the invasion of Afghanistan). It is true that there have been serious fights between the collaborationist SCIRI movement and its armed militians, and Sadr's Mahdi Army. It is also perfectly believable that the Badr Corps carried out this attack (rather than, say, undercover SAS agents, trying to provoke inter-Shia rivalry). But then it isn't simple to disaggregate pro-occupation Shi'ite forces from the occupation itself, since they have often provided the recruits for the occupiers' death squads, on many occasions working with the CIA-trained Iraqi police forces (and they have the nerve to complain about the Basra police being 'infiltrated'!). At any rate, it's a total coincidence and as soon as the (insert classic imperialist/racist sobriquet) cease asking silly questions about what 'we' were doing in Basra, the issue will die down and 'we' can return to sensible issues, like how partial privatisation will reduce waiting lists on the NHS.

By the way, it is a curious irony that Saddam's former torturers have been recruited by the occupiers, along with new Shiite torturers. Let it never be said that the United States will exclude anyone from the pleasure of torturing a fellow human being on the grounds of race, religion or creed.