Militant Cleric Postpones Big Baghdad Protest

BAGHDAD — Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shiite cleric whose Mahdi Army militia has been engaged in fierce clashes with Iraqi and American troops in Baghdad over the past week, on Tuesday called off a huge demonstration in the capital less than 24 hours before it was to take place.

The march was planned for the fifth anniversary of the day that American troops captured the capital, April 9, 2003, and was intended to protest the continuing United States military presence in the country.

But Mr. Sadr’s Baghdad strongholds have been encircled by Iraqi government and American troops since heavy fighting last month in Basra and clashes in Baghdad, and dozens of Iraqis have been killed in recent days.

The Iraqi and American military have been tightening a cordon around Sadr City, the vast Shiite district of Baghdad that is Mr. Sadr’s base of support, and which is named after his ancestors.

At a hastily convened press conference in Paradise Square, where the flag-draped statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003, Mr. Sadr’s spokesman, Salah al-Obaidi, said his movement feared for the safety of its supporters if they confronted armed government forces.

Acting on the orders of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Iraqi security squads have been stopping young Shiite men from entering Baghdad at checkpoints around the city’s perimeter, Iraqi witnesses said Tuesday. They said the checkpoint sentries have been singling out men 15 to 35 years old and sometimes detaining them.

Mr. Obaidi said his movement had to take account of “the size of the security deployment made by the government of Maliki.”

“That is why I call on our beloved Iraqi people who wanted to demonstrate against the occupation to postpone it,” he added, “because I fear for their lives and blood and because, by God, I fear for Iraqi hands being raised against you..."

The tension between the Sadrist and government forces escalated in late March when Mr. Maliki ordered the Iraqi military to occupy the southern port city of Basra, where Mr. Sadr’s militia had taken control.

Mr. Maliki has warned Mr. Sadr’s organization that it must disarm the Mahdi Army militia, the largest Shiite militia in Iraq, or his representatives would not be allowed to take part in future elections. The ultimatum reflects the growing political tension between Mr. Maliki and Mr. Sadr, who represent rival political factions among Iraq’s majority Shiites.

Mr. Obaidi, the spokesman for Mr. Sadr, denied that his movement had miscalculated by calling the march in the first place, and then embarrassed itself by having to abandon it.

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As stated by Mao:

Enemy advances, we retreat; enemy halts, we harass; enemy tires, we attack; enemy retreats, we pursue.

As stated by freestylah:

They will live to fight another day.

Perhaps. Except for the fact that the perfect opportunity for them to "harass," "attack" or "pursue" would be NOW, while Petraeus and Crocker are up on Capitol Hill testifying before a largely unfriendly Senate Committee. For Sadr to call off his rally at this particular moment speaks volumes about his troubles.

Want to finish the job:

Hearing Intrudes in Sadr City, if Power Lasts

BAGHDAD — When the electricity came on in the ramshackle district of Sadr City, the soldiers from the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment flicked on the television to watch Tuesday’s Congressional hearings with Gen. David H. Petraeus.

For a brief moment, Washington politics intruded into a world in which automatic weapons fire, tank fire and explosives rock the streets. But before General Petraeus could complete his prepared statement, the power shut down again.

The fleeting reminder of the debate at home was followed by a blunt discussion of the larger aims of the American involvement here.

None of the soldiers clustered around the television favored a speedy reduction in American troops. For soldiers defending a toehold in the most violent area of Baghdad with often unsteady Iraqi troops the idea of confronting well-armed militias with fewer troops seemed almost unfathomable.

“If we did start downgrading forces, it would hurt us more,” said Staff Sgt. William Edwards, who was among the half-dozen troops watching the start of the proceedings. “We would have a lot less to fight all the militias.”

But some from the unit — First Squadron, Second Platoon, Bull Company — harbored doubts about the Iraqi government’s determination to take on the militias.

“It has got to be done,” said Specialist Nicholas Dutkiewicz, 23, from Bristol, Conn. “I don’t know if they are willing to carry it all the way through.”

Sgt. Derek Arnold, 23, from Springfield, Ore., said he was annoyed to learn in the opening statement of the senior Democrat, Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, that the Iraqi government was not spending all of its oil proceeds. “It ticked me off to hear how our tax money is going into this when they are just stockpiling the money,” he said.

The platoon’s Sadr City engagement began about two weeks ago, when the platoon rushed to reclaim a checkpoint on the outskirts of the neighborhood that had been abandoned by Iraqi troops who were menaced by Shiite militia fighters. Soon after, it battled its way into Sadr City as part of an American and Iraqi campaign to control the areas that the militias have used as a launching pad to fire rockets at the Green Zone.

After killing dozens of militia fighters, the platoon — 35 soldiers in all — established a foothold in a southern swath of the neighborhood. Some piled into a dank, abandoned apartment building, which represents the forward line of allied forces in this part of Sadr City, while others set up camp in the Stryker vehicles outside.

Existence for the American soldiers here is spartan, at best. The three-story apartment building has no working shower and only one functional, but primitive, toilet. The soldiers live on field rations and sleep on lumpy mats in crowded, dusty rooms.

“We all smell the same, so you can’t really tell,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Brasel, 26, from Tacoma, Wash.

Blankets have been strung over the windows to try to foil enemy snipers, while the platoon’s own snipers and Stryker vehicles outside try to monitor Iraqis who live nearby. There is intermittent and often heavy gunfire outside.

For now, the main fighting is being done by soldiers from the 11th Iraqi Army Division. It has been thrust into the lead as part of an effort to build up the Iraqi Army’s capabilities and to avoid inflaming the population in an area that has long been a bastion of support for Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American cleric who controls the Mahdi Army.

The Iraqi soldiers have been struggling to advance to a main thoroughfare about half a mile to the north to solidify control over the area. Judging from the proximity of the gunfire, the Iraqi effort seems to be having mixed results.

For the Americans, holding the line has had its costs. On Tuesday morning, word reached the platoon over the tactical radio that two soldiers from a nearby unit were killed when an explosion rocked their position.

The fighting has also put its mark on the neighborhood. On Monday, an outdoor market burst into flames when a smoke grenade fired by the platoon went astray. A crowd of Iraqis came streaming to the site with buckets of water to try to prevent the fire from spreading. A lone Sadr City fire truck arrived after the flames were put out, its journey apparently delayed by the need to circumvent a bomb-filled stretch of road.

Still, one nearby Sadr City resident, who spoke only after being assured that he would not be identified, said he hoped that the American soldiers would stay for a while. Before the American troops arrived, he said, militias had prowled the streets with impunity.

As if to ward off the mayhem outside, the soldiers have held to some military rituals. On Monday, soldiers crowded into a small room while three of their comrades were officially promoted. Testimonials to their dedication were presented by their superiors while the soldiers unabashedly professed their feeling for their fellow troopers.

“I love you guys,” said Sergeant Edwards, 26, from Jacksonville, Fla., who was elevated from sergeant to staff sergeant.

The troops generally agreed with Sergeant Edwards, who said it would be foolish to withdraw American troops at this time. But some also bemoaned the lack of progress on the Iraqi side.

Lt. Matthew Apostol, 25, from Mililani, Hawaii, and the platoon leader, summed up both concerns.

“There should not be a quick timeline for reducing troops,” he said. “That would not a good thing for Iraq right now. But the Iraqi government is pretty inept. They are not meeting their end of the bargain. The Iraqi Army is not getting the support it needs from its government. They come and ask us for food, water and ammunition, basic things that soldiers need.”



SOURCE

Yeah, it's out of respect for the fallen. Fuckin snake politicians playing games with their lives, these guys deserve respect. The Brit gov't punked out big time, I bet some of those blokes are pissed.

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Still, one nearby Sadr City resident, who spoke only after being assured that he would not be identified, said he hoped that the American soldiers would stay for a while. Before the American troops arrived, he said, militias had prowled the streets with impunity.

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Just think, one day it will be so safe in Baghdad that Iraqi civilians can be identified for saying thank you to the Americans.

Until that happens, one can safely assume that everyone approves of how things have gone, they're just too fucking scared to say so.

Keep up the good work!

Raul...stick to the fake lawyering cuz your geopolitical skills are very weak.

Aaahhh, gay li'l eblab. Each of the articles I posted came from The New York Times. Are you suggesting that The Times, the most liberal paper in America, is actually shilling for Bush now???

BTW: I found a great picture of you the other day:

While I can't see how we possibly can get out now, I'm still very pissed we got IN in the 1st place.

Fuck Iraq and Iraqis. The last thing "Iraq" provided the world that was of any value was from ancient Babylon.



Americans died when Bush and Rummy lied.

Divide the fucking dump into 3, and be done with it.

IRAN IS THE PROBLEM NOT IRAQ.

Going in without a plan was a stupid, STUPID move that got a lot of good people killed.

The problem is, a half-assed withdrawal now, when things are starting to turn a corner, would be a disaster with repercussions for generations to come. The terrorists would be emboldened and start launching more attacks on us and Western Europe. We'd lose what little support we have in few moderate corners of the Muslim world. And we'd basically be saying to the families of the 4,000 Americans who died in Iraq that their sacrifice was for nothing.

I HATE Bush for getting us into this mess. And for not recognizing who's the real enemy in the muzzie world. But we're going to have to hold on a bit longer before we can get out. The alternative is unthinkable.

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Going in was stupid, STUPID move that got a lot of good people killed.

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Fixed.

Meh. If they'd had a plan, one that worked, nobody would give a shit, Saddaam would be gone, Iran would be surrounded and Cheney would've had a shitload of cheap oil to play with. Everybody would've been happy. But they didn't listen: To Gen. Shinseki, to Iraqi ex-pats and opposition leaders, to Poppy Bush's people, to ANYONE. The only one who had any luck in his sector was Petraeus, when he commanded the 101st Airborne. He listened to his subordinates, listened to the local chieftains in his sector, and won the hearts and minds of most Iraqis in his sector. That's why I say give the guy a chance. He's the only one with a clue.

jim shut the fuck up...you are an idiot.

I'm sorry eblab. I forgot that the big words in The Times hurt your widdle head, and that you only get your news from YouTube.

But calling people you don't have the wit to understand an idiot without offering an alternative arguement? Kinda reminds me of Donny Long. Oh, that's right. You have no idea who he is, do you, seing as you've never once posted about porn on this board.

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If they'd had a plan, one that worked, nobody would give a shit

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It wasn't possible to have a plan that included a rushed unilateral invasion that could have worked. That was the BRILLIANCE of Bush I. He waited and built a binding coalition.

All we are going for NOW is a brief cessation to violence - a window to feign enough peace. And, happy as I am to see any glimmer of hope, it's not ANYWHERE NEAR what was promised. What was promised CANNOT BE DELIVERED which is why I opposed it in the first place.

There is no great example of democracy emerging from the Iraqi desert as promised/predicted. For democracy to work, you have to respect the rights of others to disagree and for the majority not to use its advantage to reign as tyrrants over the minority.

That may NEVER happen in Iraq. Look at Palestine. They have the same ethnicity and are all Sunni and STILL they kill each other. Here, besides tribal rivalries within groups, you have 3 main groups who have been killing each other for centuries. How are you going to police that? That's not ending anytime soon.

And, Turkey & Syria haven't even really gotten involved yet ... wait until that disaster ...


Today we are weaker than we can afford to be and facing an even greater enemy [IRAN]. We are not safer than we were when Saddam was locked down with no-fly zones. Iran is beginning to build nuclear bombs, and we have neither the military capability nor the moral high ground to rally friends and impede them effectively. Let alone whatever madness is going on in North Korea - I don't follow that nearly as closely, so for all I know that could be worse ...


I'm not for premature troop withdrawl. We made this mess, and we have to see it out. But, no one has any idea how long we may be stuck at this troop strength in Iraq. And, it's impacting our reservists. It's impacting our ability to recruit. And, no politician is going to survive a "draft".

We are looking like the Romans at the end of their run with foreigners filling out our empty legions. I've met 3 Filipino kids from Union City who joined the armed forces; gambling their lives as a path to US citizenship. No Americans I know are willing to send their kid to Iraq.

If it's so important and critical, why aren't those fucking Bush twins over there?


REALITY: We were lied to by this government that Saddam had weapons he did not have, and thus we wasted time, precious resources and lives of brave and valued citizens in chasing this "windmill". Iran has the very weapons we most feared Saddam might develop and our military is stretched to breaking.

The lies about Iraq are impacting the believability of the truth about Iran.

And, our "frenemies" in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and so on, have become more wealthy and powerful and STILL fund the radicals we are trying to stop.

And, troops in Iraq means that our main objective in Afghanistan is being hampered. The Taliban is slowly coming back in Afghanistan and in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Both they and Al Qaeda are finding a friend in the new Pakistan.

Sorry for the rant. But, this is not good. Not good at all.

I generally agree with Fatman. Seems to me everyone is waiting in the wings, keeping a low profile and nursing their wounds til they see an opportunity to start up again. It's their territory and they'll gave infinite patience. Meanwhile, Maliki tries to take out militias of rival Shiite leaders and the Sunni leaders cooperate with the US and join the hunt against their erstwhile Al Qaeda buddies (who knows how many play both sides). All a waiting game. Sadly, like the British found out a few generations ago, these fuckers don't have the good taste of staying bought. They will play with whatever side feels strongest - Al Qaeda, government, Iran, US.

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these yahoos were plotting to invade Iraq before they even stole the election in 2000.

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Amen to that, brother. Amen!