Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
I'll sidetrack this a bit and pose a question. What if this band of merry men, whomever they were, did get to Sistani and his lieutenants, and killed them.

What would happen if Sistani were to be martyred?
Considering he may be the most influential person in post-invasion Iraq, I would dare to guess that it would have given those folks that don't know that an insurgency is a civil war, a pretty good idea of what a big civil war would be like. Sistani was very influential in the promoting of a fair election to create a new government in Iraq and has criticized the U.S.A. for not being democratic enough. So, to answer your question. The murder of Sistani and his lieutenants would have set off major chaos and human suffering yet seen in the region. And it would have been a major victory for the enemy.