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| Iraq |
| Anger follows the fight with Sadr's militia |
| 2008-04-01 |
| "The Charge of the Sadrs" is spray painted in black all over the numerous Iraqi Army and police checkpoints now abandoned in eastern Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods. The graffiti mocks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's security operation – "The Charge of the Knights" – launched in Basra, the southern Iraqi oil city, last week that put Iraqi and US forces in direct confrontation with Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army in the capital and across the south. On Monday, one day after the Shiite cleric's call for a truce following the battle that killed hundreds of people and wounded scores of others, several conclusions are clear. Mr. Sadr has demonstrated his power, despite the blows dealt to his movement over the past few years. The government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, thanked him profusely on Monday for his decision, but vowed that the fight would continue in Basra, where militiamen have now largely melted away from the streets, but remain very much in control of their strongholds. "It's the same old ending," says Juliana Dawood, a Basra resident, referring to previous battles with Sadr's Mahdi Army in 2004 that have finished with similar truces. In August 2004, US and Iraqi forces battled Sadr's militias in Najaf, Iraq. It was billed as a crucial test of then-Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's ability to extend authority over a key city in Iraq that was controlled by armed militias. The Najaf showdown ended in much the same way this one did: a Sadr negotiated truce. But this time, analysts say, the widespread instances of surrender among the Iraqi forces and the seizure of their equipment and vehicles by the Mahdi Army shows that despite all the funding and training from the US, Iraq's soldiers remain greatly swayed by their sectarian and party loyalties and are incapable of standing up in a fight without US backing. The fighting has also firmly wedged the US in an intra-Shiite struggle that has been bubbling for some time and will probably only intensify. The battle has also spawned more popular anger and frustration, especially in places like eastern Baghdad, toward both US forces and Mr. Maliki's government, which already had been teetering on the verge of collapse. This popular anger is like an adrenaline rush for the Sadrist movement, which, in contrast to other Shiite parties, particularly the one led by rival Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, is seen as being on the side of the young, poor, and downtrodden. Already Sadr is gearing up to capitalize on this comeback with a huge anti-American rally planned in Baghdad on April 9, the day Saddam Hussein's statue was brought down in the capital five years ago. In Baghdad, the government lifted a three-day curfew but US and Iraqi forces maintained a siege of sorts on Mahdi strongholds in eastern Baghdad, such as Sadr City and Shaab and Shuala on the northwest side. All vehicles were banned from going in and out except for authorized food and medicine deliveries. Everyone going in was searched by Iraqi forces. US troops kept a close eye from a distance. A US Abrams tank, a Bradley fighting vehicle, and an armored truck stood guard at Mudhafar Square on the edge of Sadr City. US soldiers have also moved into the main municipal building off the square. "They killed him here, look," recounts Salem Dhiab, pointing to the bullet-riddled gate where he says his neighbor, Ahmed Bayrouzi, was shot by a US sniper after venturing out Sunday in violation of the curfew to check on his sister who lives close by. Nearby, two lone policemen sat outside and simply smiled when asked how they fared in the fight. The street was charred from the remains of burning tires that militiamen set ablaze. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 Angleton - sounds like SSGT Bellavia |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-04-01 20:43 |
| #12 Angleton - sounds like SSFT Bellavia |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-04-01 20:43 |
| #11 Grampaw Whaving1457, I kinda like reading what ZA7428 says. Sometimes he's pretty funny. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-04-01 20:11 |
| #10 These men prob don't realize or grasp yet that OSAMA, etal. is redirecting the MAIN ISLAMIST STRATEGIC DIRECTION TOWARDS RUSSIA + CENTRAL ASIA. As per the Cold War USSR + WARPACT/Commie Bloc, only the latter has the quantities of UNSECURE? NUKE-WMD + OTHER MILTECHS NEEDED TO PRESERVE THE ISLAMIST JIHAD + GLOBAL AGENDA. This is what the US-West feared post 9-11 > NOW OSAMA + RADICAL ISLAM HAVE CHOSEN TO DE FACTO TEST = PUSH THEIR FEAR TO ITS LIMITS??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-01 20:01 |
| #9 Lots of Mahdi Army boys were killed, wounded, and captured/surrendered. That last category should have a great deal to reveal, and their cell phones even more. The next round, though likely much quieter, should be very interesting. Happy hunting, y'all! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-04-01 17:18 |
| #8 Will someone read me if this meddlesome priest? A single bullet would do a lot of good. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-04-01 16:34 |
| #7 Can the mods pooplist ZA7428? |
| Posted by: Grampaw Whaving1457 2008-04-01 10:48 |
| #6 Kooky! You is have a lot. |
| Posted by: Zebulon Angavick7428 2008-04-01 10:19 |
| #5 an enemy is not defeated UNTIL you break his will. Sadr's will is not broken. he portrays himself as not broken, and his supporters fully believe they are not broken. Their will has to be broken. It isnt even perceived that their bodies have been harmed, their neighborhoods may be quiet, they may be off the streets, but they themselves do not perceive that they have even been harmed. You can not win a war in which the enemy is not even afraid of you. Worse, Maliki, actually BEING a shiite should have KNOWN this in his planning. He isnt fit to lead. We need a man who carries the kill into the center. Maliki cant, he inspires derision even among his own soldiers. They know a wuss when they see one. Maliki doesnt have the will. The Iraqis know it now. The next act will see him removed by someone who does have the will to carry the killing into the center and close. If you dont have the guts for it, go play with the children. alQaeda wont be short of will. For our side it must be perceived that we will kill everybody who raises a gun. And then pour quicklime into their sightless eyesockets and stack them in a basement and bulldoze the house over it. Then we let in the Journalists and put up Port-o-Lets for them on the site where the house used to be. In Fallujah there were eight Marines against eight Jihadis in a single house. ONE man in the American squad killed four and was then forced out of the house alongside his squad to care for two wounded Marines. He re-entered the house ALONE...faced and killed one man downstairs. Then proceeded without backup up the dark stairs to the upper story. He fought at close quarters and killed the last three Jihadis in the dark, the last man was killed with a boot knife the Marine used in desperation. The last two Jihadis had come at him together in the dark. One had chanted," I am going to cut your head off, I am going to cut your head off." He shot the first one who was shown by night vision coming through the door and the second one with a boot knife when they grappled on the floor. He didnt get a medal, there were no witnesses, and he is still leading men today. Maliki isnt of that calibre. Maliki cant lead at all. You cant win a war unless your will is stronger than your enemy's will. Blink and you die. Make the other bastard blink. |
| Posted by: Angleton9 2008-04-01 10:17 |
| #4 Saderite armour is even now headn for Jersusalem |
| Posted by: Zebulon Angavick7428 2008-04-01 09:42 |
| #3 "he widespread instances of surrender among the Iraqi forces and the seizure of their equipment and vehicles by the Mahdi Army" This one seems to ring a bit hollow. They just making stuff up again, or taking one instance and extrapolating it to everywhere and everyone? |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-01 09:29 |
| #2 "pointing to the bullet-riddled gate where he says his neighbor, Ahmed Bayrouzi, was shot by a US sniper after venturing out Sunday in violation of the curfew to check on his sister who lives close by." Please. "bullet-ridden gate"? I call B.S. A US sniper would need just one shot. Who writes this crap? |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2008-04-01 03:53 |
| #1 From the NYT, Iraqi Army and police forces immediately moved into Basra neighborhoods abandoned by the Mahdi Army, which is the armed wing of Mr. SadrÂ’s political movement, setting up checkpoints and searching for roadside bombs. Just cos one side says its a truce, don't make it so. No matter how much the MSM wants it to be true. |
| Posted by: Phil_B 2008-04-01 00:48 |