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Pentagon to Confront Moqtada
Iraqâs U.S.-led authorities are preparing for a showdown with a militant Shiite Muslim cleric whose illegal militia has fought recent gunbattles with both American troops and moderate Shiites, Pentagon officials said. The preferred options include arresting Moqtada al-Sadr, whom American officials view as a possible threat to the U.S.-led military coalition occupying Iraq. However, the Americans also want to avoid touching off rioting or other violence by moving against the cleric.
| Let the Iraqi cops arrest him and dismember him. |
The 22 30-year-old cleric lies about his age exhorts his followers with fiery anti-American sermons but so far has stopped short of calling for attacks on U.S. military forces. His militia openly defies the U.S.-led administrationâs bans on private armies and people carrying unlicensed guns. Al-Sadrâs followers have engaged in deadly shootouts with other Shiite groups and American troops in the past two weeks, most recently in the holy city of Karbala south of Baghdad on Tuesday.
Three good reasons to jug him now.
| On the other hand, he got his butt kicked and came out looking foolish, so maybe we should wait a week... |
U.S. officials believe al-Sadrâs actions require a response. What that response will be will be determined over the next few days.
| There are enough martyrs in the Shiite pantheon... |
The official suggested other Shiite groups or Iraqi security forces could also deal with al-Sadr on their own.
Best idea is to let the Iraqi security forces do it in da name of da law. Weâd provide them advice, GPS coordinates and crew-served weapons, of course.
Such unusually strong comments from Pentagon officials could suggest some imminent U.S.-backed move, or perhaps an attempt by American officials to get al-Sadr to back down without a fight. Arresting or moving against al-Sadr could spark unrest among his followers, many of whom are young, unemployed, illiterate, superstitious, have bad breath and armed. But U.S. military and coalition officials are finding it harder to ignore al-Sadrâs increasingly open challenges to the American occupation of the country and to Iraqis who cooperate with it. Last Friday, al-Sadr declared he had formed his own government to rule Iraq and called on his followers to peacefully protest until that government was recognized. The U.S.-led coalition has arrested other self-declared rulers of parts of Iraq. Armed al-Sadr supporters staged demonstrations Wednesday in Najaf as armed followers of more moderate Shiite clerics looked on. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, al-Sadr said U.S. forces should announce a timetable for a quick withdrawal from Iraq. ``Whoever cooperates with the occupation forces is not a Shiite,ââ he said. ``Indeed, they are not Muslims.ââ
The "i" word should follow shortly.
Iraqâs U.S.-appointed interior minister went on a coalition broadcast inside the country on Tuesday to denounce al-Sadr as ``a common criminal and a disgrace to his country and his religion.ââ
Disgrace to his country yes, but to his religion? He seems sorta middle of the fairway there.
Al-Sadr appears to draw his followers mainly from stupid young and lazy easily misled poverty-stricken eye rolling Shiites in places like Sadr City, a slum-ridden section of Baghdad named after the clericâs father, who was shot to death during Saddamâs rule.
So al-Sadrâs an ingrate as well.
| Best solution would be for the Iraqi cops to handle the situation under the aegis of the interior ministry, while the U.S. piously announces that we're leaving it to them because they know more about it than we do — the while providing the target coordinates, of course. Move in response to an incident like this past week, and kill him accidentally. Best solution is to have him knocked off by a stray bullet fired by one of his own supporters — some of the ex-mukhabarat guys we've hired could set that up. Sends the message that we respect the Iraqis' religious feelings and we'll go out of our way not to offend their delicate little sensibilities, and it sends the other message not to screw with the new gummint. |
Posted by: Steve White 2003-10-16 |
