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2004-08-20 Iraq-Jordan
Iraqi PM Pledges No Attack on Najaf Shrine
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Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-08-20 7:23:49 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 This being Reuters, even with the AP agreeing, I take this with a grain of salt.
Posted by Edward Yee  2004-08-20 8:43:52 AM|| [http://edwardyee.fanworks.net]  2004-08-20 8:43:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi police took control of the Imam Ali Mosque in the holy city of Najaf on Friday, after entering the shrine to find that rebel Shi'ite militia loyal to a radical cleric had left, the Interior Ministry said.

"The Iraqi police are now in control of the shrine, along with the religious authorities," said a senior ministry spokesman.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 9:41:21 AM||   2004-08-20 9:41:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 They left? So, did the Iraqis let them leave, or did this shrine/fortress have some hidden underground exit we didn't know about? Allawi is going to regret this.
Posted by Tom 2004-08-20 9:49:06 AM||   2004-08-20 9:49:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 The Madhi Army left town - a large portion of it left toes first.
Posted by OldSpook 2004-08-20 9:53:19 AM||   2004-08-20 9:53:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 at least 77 were killed overnight - not clear how many were actually left in the mosque, not clear where they went. Any sources old Spook? I hope we got a bunch on the way out, but even if not, we just hit'em the next time they pop up.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 9:54:50 AM||   2004-08-20 9:54:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Latest news is that Iraqi forces have arrested 400+ militia members at the mosque.
Posted by Lux 2004-08-20 9:57:20 AM||   2004-08-20 9:57:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 AP reports militia has taken weapons outside shrine, but unarmed militia and civilians (Human shields?) remain in shrine. No mention of IP. Seems to contradict Reuters report. Curioser and curioser.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 9:57:37 AM||   2004-08-20 9:57:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 a good bag, lux - source?
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 9:58:14 AM||   2004-08-20 9:58:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 400 bagged, but Sadr escaped?
Posted by Lux 2004-08-20 10:00:09 AM||   2004-08-20 10:00:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 thanks.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 10:01:06 AM||   2004-08-20 10:01:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 " 'The Iraqi police are now in control of the shrine, along with the religious authorities,' said a senior ministry spokesman."

Does that mean the police are in control of both the shrine and the religious authorities, or that the police are in control of the shrine and the religious authorities are helping them control it? Helping? Come on.
Posted by jules 187 2004-08-20 10:12:33 AM||   2004-08-20 10:12:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 it means the police are working with the religious authorities, who are loyal to Sistani.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 10:14:25 AM||   2004-08-20 10:14:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 "Radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr may have escaped the U.S.-led military siege of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Friday.

"It is possible he might have escaped overnight," Dr. Sabah Kadhim of the Iraqi Interior Ministry told CNN.

Maybe he turns up in Teheran.

But then I have this nasty thought - what if he NEVER turns up??? Kinda like Jimmy Hoffa, ya know? Allawi - "we are like, so unhappy that Mr. Sadrs missing, and we hope he is well wherever he is" Hmmmm.


Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 10:17:06 AM||   2004-08-20 10:17:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 They haven't left. They won't leave. The shrine is the only thing keeping them in this world.

Turn off the water and electricity. Ring the shrine with snipers. Shoot anything that moves.

Play Metallica at ultra high volume. Burn tires upwind.

Announce on loud speakers every hour or so that any man walking out the front gates unarmed will be allowed to live.

It'll be over in a few days.
Posted by Iblis 2004-08-20 10:20:51 AM||   2004-08-20 10:20:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#15 There’s reporting that under the mosque, and the adjoining cemetery, is a vast complex of catacombs and tunnels that could possibly stretch well outside the mosque proper and surface inside buildings in the surrounding area. It’s highly likely that Tater, and many of his followers, have used them for storage of supplies, ammo and access/egress from the mosque.
Posted by RN  2004-08-20 10:30:27 AM||   2004-08-20 10:30:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#16 RN: There’s reporting that under the mosque, and the adjoining cemetery, is a vast complex of catacombs and tunnels that could possibly stretch well outside the mosque proper and surface inside buildings in the surrounding area.

Makes a lot of sense. A lot of Christian monasteries were also constructed in this manner, so that the faithful could seek shelter from bandit raids or government persecution.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2004-08-20 10:33:50 AM|| [http://www.polipundit.com]  2004-08-20 10:33:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#17 Find Sadr and turn him into a rotting corpse, no ifs ands or buts. Then make straightening out Fallujah the next task.
Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-20 10:34:07 AM||   2004-08-20 10:34:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#18 Escaping through mosque catacombs (which I am sure no religious leader knew about, right?)
And that would be helpful?
Posted by jules 187 2004-08-20 10:34:11 AM||   2004-08-20 10:34:11 AM|| Front Page Top

#19 new reports from a reuters cameraman says there is still fighting near the shrine, and Al jizz denies that IP are inside the shrine.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 10:34:17 AM||   2004-08-20 10:34:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#20 If you notice the post I had the other day about how the Iraqi SF were going to breach the compound, you'll noticed I said they'd not be going over the walls - they'd be coming from underground - sewers to be exact. There are a large set of ancient tunnels below the area, some are catacombs, some are water (with cisterns) ans some are drainage. Many of them are quite large.

This is likely how Sadr exfiltrated the compound.

Typical - he exhorted his guys to fight, got a lot of them killed and captured, while he slipped out the (figurative) back door. Hopefully we got all the crew served weaponry - and are busy tracing it back to the Iranians.

Any fighting left is simply the remnants of the Madhi Army trying to break out of the ring the Marines and 1st Cav have put in place. They'll die. Or surrender once they realize they have been yet again sold out by Sadr.

This guy Sadr is just a gangster wearing mullah's clothing.
Posted by OldSpook 2004-08-20 11:03:13 AM||   2004-08-20 11:03:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#21 AFP correspondent, allegedly in mosque, says militia still there. USMC cant confirm that Iraqi police are inside. Neither can Iraqi National Security Advisor, who says cant reach Najaf governor by phone. Earlier reports said quiet, now reports of continued fighting.

Fog of war prevails.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 11:50:22 AM||   2004-08-20 11:50:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#22 Fox reported about an hour ago that US Mil Cmd said that no US troops had entered the shrine and neither had Iraqi forces. In effect, they denied the reported Allawi claim that the Iraqis had taken the shrine and arrested 400 muhji Tots.

Foggy, indeed!
Posted by .com 2004-08-20 12:01:52 PM||   2004-08-20 12:01:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 The fate of a radical Shi'ite rebellion in the holy city of Najaf was uncertain Friday amid disputed reports that Iraqi police had gained control of the Imam Ali Mosque. A senior Interior Ministry spokesman said police entered the shrine and arrested hundreds of militiamen loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to end a two-week revolt that left hundreds dead and helped drive world oil prices to record highs.
But soon after the seizure was announced, a senior Sadr aide said the statement was false.
"The shrine is in the control of the Mehdi Army. The Mehdi Army will resist any attempt by the Iraqi police to control the shrine," said Sheikh Ahmad al-Sheibani, a senior commander in Sadr's Mehdi Army militia. "Procedures are under way to hand over control of the shrine to Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani," he added, referring to Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric.
Posted by Steve  2004-08-20 12:03:53 PM||   2004-08-20 12:03:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 maybe they do it on purpose, so that the tot-groupies don't know if they should do anything or not until it's all over.???

Procedures are under way to hand over control of the shrine to Ayatollah

That's a pretty good result. I wonder if they are somehow "making it happen".
Posted by B 2004-08-20 12:15:36 PM||   2004-08-20 12:15:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 possibilities
1. Inexperienced Iraqi flak jumped the gun, on an operation thats not done yet/ Reminds me of the old joke: Jake sees his old pal Moe, whos business was on the rocks Jake:"Moe, i heard about the fire at your store, Im so sorry" Moe: "Sssh, its not till next week"
2. theres a deal in the works, but some folks in the Iraqi govt think the deal is too soft, and are actively trying to sabotage it
3. The shrines a big place, with different sub-buildings (thanks for pics, Dot com) and underground areas (thanks for info, old Spook)
and there ARE IP somewhere in there, and hundreds of prisoners, but the games far from over
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 12:24:57 PM||   2004-08-20 12:24:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#26 latest from reuters:
Witnesses said that by late afternoon, civilians were wandering around inside Iraq's holiest Shi'ite site while workers swept marble floors. There were no police or armed men from the Mehdi Army of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in sight.
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 1:27:33 PM||   2004-08-20 1:27:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#27 AP
But in the latest twist in the tortuous search for a resolution to the crisis, al-Sadr and al-Sistani aides late Friday night were still trying to agree on how to transfer control. An aide to al-Sistani insisted al-Sadr's followers must completely leave the site before religious authorities would take the keys to the shrine that symbolize control.


"If they want to vacate the holy shrine compound and close the doors, then the office of the religious authority in holy Najaf will take these keys," Sheik Hamed Khafaf said from London, where al-Sistani was undergoing medical treatment. "Until now, this hasn't happened."
Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-08-20 2:55:40 PM||   2004-08-20 2:55:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#28 Fox is saying the Tots are still inside and Tater is with them.
Posted by FlameBait93268 2004-08-20 4:04:43 PM||   2004-08-20 4:04:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#29 1. Inexperienced Iraqi flak jumped the gun, on an operation thats not done yet/ Reminds me of the old joke: Jake sees his old pal Moe, whos business was on the rocks Jake:"Moe, i heard about the fire at your store, Im so sorry" Moe: "Sssh, its not till next week"

LOL! My dad's version was the big banner that proclaimed a Pre-Fire Sale.
Posted by Shipman 2004-08-20 4:27:26 PM||   2004-08-20 4:27:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#30 Better Idea :

Tunnels run underground to nearby buildings.
We can have equipment that can do soundings to locate tunnels. Once the tunnels are under the street outside the mosque, dig and collapse them leaving something obnoxious in odor back in the direction back towards the mosque. This prevents escape. Then ring the mosque as has been suggested, and nail anythine/anyone that moves, along with the above mentioned power and water shutdown.
Posted by BigEd 2004-08-20 7:34:02 PM||   2004-08-20 7:34:02 PM|| Front Page Top

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