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Sadr calls it quits
London Telegraph. EFL.
Brave Moqtada al-Sadr
Rode forth from old Najaf
He was not afraid to die
Oh, Moqtada al-Sadr!
He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways
Brave, brave, brave Moqtada al-Sadr . . .
The fiery radical at the heart of Iraq’s Shia revolt sued for peace yesterday, buckling under the twin pressures of a massive build-up of American forces near his base and demands for moderation from the country’s ayatollahs. Moqtada al-Sadr, who raised the standard of anti-American revolt 12 days ago, sent out envoys from the holy city of Najaf carrying his peace terms. Well within 155mm artillery range of Barely 13 miles from his hideout, United States tanks and heavy artillery began to enforce an "exclusion zone", apparently a first step towards an assault. Sadr despatched an envoy, Abdul Karim al-Anzi, from Najaf to Baghdad carrying his terms to end the stand-off. . . . Haider Aziz, one of Sadr’s translators, disclosed the radical leader’s peace terms: "He does not want to be attacked, he wants his personal safety and he wants coalition forces to withdraw from Najaf."
"The terms are this: 1. You don’t kill me. 2. I quit. 3. I get to not die, okay? 4. When you see me, you don’t shoot me or anything like that. Did I mention that, like, no-one is supposed to kill me or anything? ’Cause that’s like the most important part."
He added that if these conditions were met, Sadr would agree to disband his militia, the Army of the Mahdi, which has provided US troops with live target practice proved itself a formidable military force. "He will dissolve the tattered remnants of the Mahdi Army and it will become another social or political organisation for improving the condition of the Iraqi people," said Mr Aziz. Sadr himself told a German news agency that he sought to free Najaf "from the claws of the occupiers", but he was open to "not dying anytime soon" "well-meaning" negotiations.

Brave Moqtada ran away
Bravely ran away away
When it appeared he would be fragged
Like the French, he flew white flags
Yes brave Moqtada saved his skin
By giving up and giving in
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat . . .

While "Mashed Tater" would have psychologically satisfying, if we can win by intimidation, without having to kill people, so much the better.
Posted by: Mike 2004-04-15
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=30589