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| Iraq-Jordan | |||||
| Al-Sadr leaves mosque in Kufa | |||||
| 2004-04-06 | |||||
A radical Shiite cleric sought by U.S. forces said Tuesday he left the fortress-like mosque where he has been holed up for days, surrounded by armed supporters. Muqtada al-Sadr, in a statement released by his office, did not say where he had gone. The United States declared al-Sadr an ’’outlaw’’ after his militiamen battled coalition troops Sunday in Baghdad and outside Najaf in fights that killed 61 people including eight U.S. soldiers. U.S. officials announced an arrest warrant against al-Sadr on Monday, suggesting they would move soon to detain him. Al-Sadr supporters clashed Tuesday with British troops in the southern city of Amarah, and witnesses reported seeing Iraqis killed in the fight. British officials had no immediate comment. Since Sunday, al-Sadr was in the main mosque in the city of Kufa, south of Baghdad, with dozens of militiamen outside vowing to resist any U.S. attempt to arrest him. But in a statement released by his office in the nearby city of Najaf, al-Sadr said he had left the mosque, fearing it would be damaged in an assault.
Al-Sadr did not say in the statement where he had gone, but he took a defiant tone, saying he was willing to ’’shed my own blood’’ for Iraq and denouncing U.S. President George W. Bush, who said Monday that al-Sadr aimed at wrecking democracy in Iraq.
Al-Sadr, a firey 30-year-old cleric, frequently denounces the U.S. occupation in his sermons and has built up his own militia, the al-Mahdi Army, though he has avoided calling for attacks on U.S. troops.
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| Posted by:Phil B |
| #18 Imperative to keep him away from SMH-2, I fear we won't be able to. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-04-06 4:16:22 PM |
| #17 Knowing almost nothing about military stuff, I still just have to think, that after 2 years, some of our Delta guys have got to be heavily involved, and know just where he is. Like I said, this is just an opinion. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2004-04-06 2:29:32 PM |
| #16 Comments? If you ask me, I'd pick assassination for his ass. Preferably something that leaves a huge exit hole. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-06 1:33:46 PM |
| #15 From a Fox Article: Al-Iraqia, the coalition authority-sponsored TV station in Baghdad, reported that al-Sadr had left a fortress-like mosque controlled by his al-Mahdi Army (search) militia in the city of Kufa and moved to an even more unassailable site — the tomb of Imam Ali (search), the founder of Shi'a Islam, in the holy city of Najaf. Yup - Sounds like he is ready to shed his blood -- hiding behind a dead person. A top al-Sadr aide, however, said the 30-year-old anti-American cleric was not in Ali's Tomb, which coalition forces would likely will not enter, but in his Najaf office nearby. Asked if al-Sadr would resist U.S. attempts to arrest him, Sheikh Qays al-Khaz'ali said, "God forbid if this happens, al-Sayed [a term of respect for al-Sadr] will win martyrdom." "My fate will be either assassination or arrest," al-Khaz'ali quoted al-Sadr as saying. Comments? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-06 12:50:25 PM |
| #14 You have to figure his Iranian handlers are pissed off that he moved so quickly. Rather premature IMO. Bremmer now has almost 3 months to clean out his followers, destroy his militia and clean up Fallujah. By coming out in the open he has given the US military the excuse it needs to employ serious tactics. Foolish, very foolish. |
| Posted by: remote man 2004-04-06 12:26:14 PM |
| #13 If he said, "...scum and villany," someone has a VCR. And I agree, where were we and why did we let him go? |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-04-06 10:59:48 AM |
| #12 .com---LOL great math analogy. As much as I would like to see Sadr nailed, he is now brought down a notch by having to leave his holy site. I hope that we are tracking him. I do not imagine that he is sporting a yellow or green turban and wraparound shades...... Probably wearing a black burkah. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul on the Road 2004-04-06 10:45:12 AM |
| #11 "he was willing to 'shed my own blood'" Let's help him out! This guy is theocratic thugs and nothing else. He wants to do for Iraq what the clerics have done for Iran. We should wipe he and his thugs army out. The people of Najaf deserve better than to live under his rule. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-04-06 10:41:16 AM |
| #10 where's a sniper when you need one? |
| Posted by: smokeysinse 2004-04-06 10:34:43 AM |
| #9 Ah, apologies, Fred! But now he'll prolly sneak into SMH-2! Since the scale is prolly logrithmic, that'd be a really place to bomb! Lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-06 10:32:41 AM |
| #8 I think it was Fred who made the Damascus or Tehran destination guess, which after reflection sounds depressingly likely. Bag him before he gets. It's a good thing he left that mosque, take him out now - hellfire |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-06 10:24:51 AM |
| #7 Apologies for calling the Kufa Moskkk "Shi'a Islam's Most Holy Site" - I was way off - it's only SMH-5. Pfeh, a mere pile of stones. See #7 here |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-06 10:20:22 AM |
| #6 A top aide to an Iraqi religious leader who's wanted by U.S. authorities said the cleric has left a mosque south of Baghdad and moved to his office in the holy city of Najaf. The spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr said if U.S. forces come to arrest the cleric, he will "win martyrdom." Al-Sadr was quoted as saying, "My fate will be either assassination or arrested." Already backing away from the "shed my own blood" stand, what's his middle name, Kerry? Earlier, the cleric issued a statement that he was moving away from the heavily-guarded mosque where he'd been holed up since Sunday, to protect the religious site from "scum and evil people." Translation: He's got more gunnies in Najaf. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-04-06 10:17:42 AM |
| #5 Monty Python moment: Run away! Run away! I'd guess the Iranians are a wee bit disappointed in him right now. If he could have waited, he'd have been fighting other Iraqis, less well trained and less motivated. And, Bill, he's not as smart as Osama. Think Stern Gang in Israel. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-04-06 10:08:51 AM |
| #4 As OS pointed out yesterday, he'll probably show up in Tehran or Damascus by the end of the week. I expected him to stay in the fortress-like Kufa Moskkk in order to maximize his value as an irritation - it may be that Shi'a leaders warned him to leave Shi'a Islam's Most Holy Site. Now we'll see if his plans include resistance and martyrdom -- or a cushy spot in Qom, curled up at the feet of his Mad Mullah masters. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-06 9:35:38 AM |
| #3 Scum? I can't say as I recall ever hearing a Lutheran referring to folks that way. Must be a trademark of The Religion of Peace. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-04-06 9:33:55 AM |
| #2 So WTF. He's nowhere to be found. Great another Osama running around. |
| Posted by: Bill Nelson 2004-04-06 9:23:14 AM |
| #1 "...the sanctity of a glorious and esteemed mosque would be violated by scum and evil people..." Um, already there, no? Oh, PLEAAAASE, put up a fight... |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-04-06 9:02:54 AM |