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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Najaf, No cease fire we crushed them! |
| 2004-06-05 |
| Just telling it like it is here kids, Mr Sadre gambled and lost maybe even his life. I know I get a little impatient with the news and our progress, but I think the war has gone pretty damn good if you ask me. Just consider what has been done in 15 months to the country of Iraq and compare it to anything else in history. It’s darn impressive. Sadr’s militia defeated: US From correspondents in Baghdad June 6, 2004 THE US military said today it had defeated the outlawed militia of flamboyant Shi’ite cleric Moqtada Sadr across central Iraq, and denied that there was any truce with the radical preacher. "The Moqtada militia is militarily defeated. We have killed scores of them over the last few weeks, and that is in Najaf alone," Brigadier General Mark Hertling, one of the top US commanders in charge of Najaf, told AFP. "Over the past several days, Moqtada’s militia has lost much of their stomach for fighting," he said, also declaring victory in the central cities of Kut, Diwaniyah and Karbala, dogged by fighting over the past two months. "We have also destroyed their weapons stores and their offensive capability," he said. "What remains of them, which is a very small force, will take advantage of the governor’s announcement to disperse if not disband." Hertling praised Najaf governor Adnan al-Zorfi, appointed last month, for playing a political role in the defeat and stressed that US patrols and checkpoints were still active around Najaf and its twin city of Kufa. "There is no truce between the coalition forces and the militia ... We have not conceded anything to Sadr. We have told him that when we encounter any armed forces, we will destroy them. We have done just that," Hertling said. "We have not pulled back from anything. We are conducting the same patrols we have already conducted, and we are executing checkpoints in Najaf and Kufa right now." Calm returned to Najaf late yesterday after Zorfi announced that Iraqi police would patrol in sensitive areas around the shrines, which include some of the world’s holiest sites in Shi’ite Islam, the US military said. "That was a brilliant move on his part, because it was one of the things the militia was asking for... (and) made it possible for the militia to lay down their arms and leave town," said Hertling. "The governor has taken his city back under control, in an unbelievably historic and courageous act. He has re-established his police force, and we are helping them train and we are helping him to arm them. "Bottom line, yesterday was a good day for Najaf. The militia have been defeated, or have left." Hertling denied any similarities to what was seen by Iraqis as a US defeat when marines withdrew from Fallujah, leaving the troublesome Sunni Muslim city in police hands after weeks of fierce fighting in April. "The people of Najaf did not ask us to leave; in fact, many of the businessmen and moderate clerics have asked us to help them get rid of Sadr’s militia," he said. The firebrand cleric unleashed a deadly uprising against US-led coalition forces in early April after the coalition shut down one of his newspapers for inciting violence and arrested one of his key aides. The US military has repeatedly insisted that he face justice for his alleged role in the murder of a rival cleric last year, and a warrant for Sadr’s arrest has been issued. Agence France-Presse |
| Posted by:Long Hair Republican |
| #4 When the job is done, then and only then is it appropriate to declare victory. Not if you're trying force a result. One of two things will happen. Sadr's remaining militia will attack, or they'll slink away. In either case, they're finished. Sadr loses all stature. He'll run for exile, or someone will get him. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-06-05 11:37:25 PM |
| #3 "The Moqtada militia is militarily defeated..." I dunno, I don't like the sound of this. The guy is defeated when he's in custody and his forces have been totally destroyed. Until then, it makes no sense to be making proclamations of this sort. When the job is done, then and only then is it appropriate to declare victory. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-05 9:12:16 PM |
| #2 or dead...nice name, BTW |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-05 5:13:57 PM |
| #1 God bless the souls of those lost this week. But it was a GREAT week for the good guys. Stick a fork in this one as soon as Sadr is in custody. |
| Posted by: Frank 2004-06-05 4:56:01 PM |