Update below the fold

A bomb ripped part of the golden dome off at the sacred Shiite Muslim Askariya Shrine, also known as the Golden Mosque, which contains the tombs of the 10th and 11th Imams. Coincidentally the 12th Imam is living in a well eagerly awaiting the next note Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad drops in awaiting the 12th Imam’s return, though that depends on who you ask.

An official with the Salahuldin Joint Coordination Center said a group of men dressed as Iraqi Police commandos entered the shrine around 7 a.m. (11 p.m. ET Tuesday) and detonated explosives under the dome, collapsing it and damaging the entire mosque. (source)

Naturally such an attack is designed to enrage Shiites, and it has. From the Associated Press:

Thousands of demonstrators gathered near the shrine, waving Iraqi flags, Shiite religious flags and copies of the Quran.

“This criminal act aims at igniting civil strife,” said Mahmoud al-Samarie, 28-year-old builder who was among the crowd. “We demand an investigation so that the criminals who did this be punished. If the government fails to do so, then we will take up arms and chase the people behind this attack.”

Sunni leaders have promised their own investigation, but something tells me they should not look much further than a group known as Al Qaida in Iraq. The group has been relatively quiet, at least in terms of communiques, recently and such an attack fits the group’s desires to fuel a civil war between Sunnis and Shiites.

Many will point to the dress of those who attacked the mosque and claim the Iraqi police has been infiltrated and that Sunnis were to blame for the attack. Indeed both might be true, but it is important to note two Sunni terrorist groups, Al Qaida in Iraq and The Army of Ansar al-Sunnah, have routinely targeted Iraqi policemen and captured many alive before slaughtering them on video. It is hardly inconceivable the attack was carried out by either group wearing confiscated police uniforms.

The time of the attack is interesting to note though in regards to both groups that I believe may be responsible. The mosque was relatively empty, I have heard of no casualties from this specific attack, and Al Qaida in Iraq is known to target Shia indiscriminately. The Army of Ansar al-Sunnah only targets Iraqis who work for the government, Iraqi policemen and soldiers and those they believe are conspiring with the Iraqi government. Ansar al-Sunnah does not typically target innocent Iraqis not connected to the government.

The location of the mosque, however, makes it highly unlikely Ansar al-Sunnah was involved at all thus pointing the finger of blame towards Al Qaida in Iraq. C.S. Scott at Security Watchtower makes the astute observation that explosives already inside the mosque may be at fault. Scott also notes the Al Qaida in Iraq connection to the city of Samarra.
Now on to the twist in the 12th Imam story. From CNN:

The site is sacred to Shia, because they believe Iman al Mehdi will appear at the mosque, bringing them salvation.

Al Mehdi is the 12th and final awaited Imam in Shia Islam. He is the son of Iman Hasan al Askari, the 11th Iman, buried in the shrine. His grandfather, the 10th Iman, is also buried there.

Al Mehdi is said to have disappeared in the Eighth Century during the funeral of his father and is believed by Shia to have been withdrawn by God from the eyes of the people. They are waiting for him to reappear as their leader, believing the event will take place in Samarra.

Of course Iran is a Shia nation, but it seems strange that Shia in Iraq have a different belief or interpretation than Shia in Iran. They both believe the 12th Imam will return near the end of times, but Ahmadinejad believes he will be his puppet. Iraqi Shia apparently believe he will travel to Samarra. With this issue though, I only pretend to know what I am talking about so don’t ask me what the exact story is.

UPDATE: It appears as if the initial reports on this story were wrong. It wasn’t just the dome that was damaged in the explosion, the entire mosque appears obliterated.

I think we all knew blaming the United States would be in order, but the rationale behind this blame was completely unexpected.

“For sure, the statements made by the ambassador were not made in a responsible way and he did not behave like an ambassador,” [Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq] told reporters. “These statements were the reason for more pressure and gave green lights to terrorist groups. And, therefore, he shares in part of the responsibility.”

Those comments were that the U.S. did not support secretarian groups in Iraq. Meanwhile in Pakistan protestors burned U.S. and Israeli flags over the bombing. Yes, it always comes back to the Jews.

Hyscience linked with Al-Askariya Golden mosque in Samarra, Iraq - 'Blown Up'...