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| Iraq |
| Sadr calls US, UK, Israel a "triad of evil" |
| 2006-03-11 |
| He actually isn't the first one to use that term. Felucia, Mygeeto, and Saleucami were far better choices and a free cookie to whoever is as big a geek to get that reference without looking. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who wields growing political influence and whose militia has clashed with U.S. forces, described the United States, Israel and Britain as a ''Triad of Evil'' in a television interview Friday. The anti-American al-Sadr also said last month's attack on a Shiite shrine in the central city of Samarra was carried out ''in collusion with the occupiers and the Zionist entity of Israel,'' meaning the U.S. and Israel. Hundreds of Iraqis died in the subsequent sectarian violence. Sunni Arabs say al-Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army, was behind much of the bloodshed. The Triad of Evil reference was an obvious play on the words President Bush used in his 2002 State of the Union address, when he labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea the ''axis of evil.'' Al-Sadr, whose militia launched two uprisings against U.S. troops in 2004, refused to name any group that he believed was behind the bombing of the Askariyah shrine in Samarra but hinted at members of Saddam Hussein's former regime or Sunni extremists. ''Those who carry arms could be takfiri extremists, Saddamists or others. But those who control arms are the Triad of Evil that are Israel, America and Britain,'' the black-turbaned cleric said during the one-hour interview on state-run Iraqiya television. The extremist takfiri ideology urges Sunni Muslims to kill anyone they consider an infidel, even fellow Muslims. Al-Sadr said the attacks on Sunnis that followed the Samarra explosion ''were a natural reaction'' by Shiites angry over the attack. He said he rejected any attacks on mosques of either Muslim sect, although violence after the Samarra bombing damaged many. The firebrand cleric, who was on a regional tour when the Feb. 22 attack on the shrine took place, cut short his visit and came back ''in order for the country not to be pulled to street battles. I wanted to salvage the Iraqi people from these problems.'' Speaking about the country's political crisis that erupted in recent days over the Shiite parliamentary bloc's nomination of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to form a new government, al-Sadr said ''I don't intervene in such small matters.'' But al-Sadr's political power was showcased last month when al-Jaafari was nominated as the government's next prime minister over his heavily favored rival by a single vote - thanks to the support of al-Sadr's followers in the parliament. That support, in part, has caused a coalition of politicians to come out against al-Jaafari's candidacy. Al-Sadr's followers hold 30 seats in the 275-member parliament. The remainder of the Shiite blocs control 100 more. ''The candidate for prime minister must demand the withdrawal of the occupiers, or put a timetable for their pullout. I don't support any person who does not say that,'' al-Sadr said. ''What is important is that the occupiers leave because they are behind what is happening in Iraq.'' ''Putting a timetable on foreign troop withdrawal represents a victory for Iraqis, not for terrorists,'' he said. The cleric, speaking from the holy city of Najaf, said Saddam Hussein should not be tried but executed immediately. He criticized what he called American intervention in the trial and said it has taken so long. Saddam was believed to have ordered the 1999 assassination of al-Sadr's father, Mohammed Sadiq, a top Shiite religious leader who spent years in jail under the former Iraqi leader. ''I call for the execution of Saddam,'' al-Sadr said. ''He who did not let judicial authorities work under his rule should not be tried.'' ''He who shed the blood of Iraqis and Muslims easily, should have his blood shed easily,'' al-Sadr said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #24 Dunno. Maybe because he has a significant following and if he's offed, a replacement will arise. Ultimately Iraq has got to get past what he represents (including his blackshirts). Or (and this isn't necessarily much different from the first explanation) because he is high profile and stupid, in a streetsmart sort of way, and therefore we can track what he's doing. Just some (not very satisfactory) musings. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-03-11 22:10 |
| #23 Please, someone refresh my memory...Why hasn't Tater had an unfortunate accident with an IED or 50 cal sniper rifle? |
| Posted by: anymouse 2006-03-11 22:07 |
| #22 Tater needs to be eliminated before festivities in Iran commence. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-03-11 22:03 |
| #21 Cloudy, threatening rain, moderate winds about 25 MPH and around 70 f, windows open, air off, and night just now falling, probably heavy rain tonight, in Mobile about 8 miles to the bay, and 20 or so north of the gulf coast. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-03-11 18:47 |
| #20 IIRC, DD, the actual Triad of Evil was the three people of the Sacorrian Triad. |
| Posted by: Korora 2006-03-11 18:31 |
| #19 I wonder if Sadr doesn't have some use to us. It is very convenient to have him and his followers chasing down the Sunnis sometimes. Let's start a rumor that he is a zionist agent. |
| Posted by: Throlugum Shuter9373 2006-03-11 16:32 |
| #18 Hail in the Oakland Hills, yesterday. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-03-11 16:02 |
| #17 desert blondie's finally getting her rain in AZ as well - after 143 days (+/- ?) without..... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-11 15:28 |
| #16 80 something here got air condition on, :P |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-03-11 15:25 |
| #15 That's the kind of temps that make walking by the ocean fun, Frank. At least, it did when we were in LA and in the SF Bay area .... |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-03-11 15:24 |
| #14 jeebus 45 in San Diego - rare arctic storm coming down the coast....I like it! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-11 15:22 |
| #13 Paul, it's 61 now northwest of Philadelphia. Feels like 75. Got the windows open, and the heat off. Softball anyone ? |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-03-11 14:05 |
| #12 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Anti-American "sophisticates" may sneer, but Axis of Evil was actually a neat turn of phrase. Sadr's Iranian masters seem to think so. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-03-11 14:04 |
| #11 AP keep hunkered down and stay warm, hopefully a warmer springtime is just around the corner. "The cleric, speaking from the holy city of Najaf, said Saddam Hussein should not be tried but executed immediately. He criticized what he called American intervention in the trial and said it has taken so long." Makes me wince to want to agree with this remark from Sadr. no cookie for me, I always need to look stuff up. DMFD, liked the Star Wars reference though lol. |
| Posted by: Jan 2006-03-11 13:58 |
| #10 That pesky Global Warming getting to you guys again, AP? |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-03-11 13:11 |
| #9 Thanks alot Frank! The imagery of tooth decay made my day. al-Sadr needs a root canal, a long, slow, root canal. How long are they going to put up with the Muckster? If he is taken out, his followers will run around like a loose baloon until they run out of air. Why are they putting up with this guy? BTW, still stuck here. We have a blizzard going on. 200 yards vis, winds gusting to 43 kt, snow, blowing snow, 9F. It's a lovely day in the neighborhood. The weathermap isobar pressure contours look like a contour map of an open pit mine. We're doomed, doomed, I tell ya.... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul in Hooper Bay, AK 2006-03-11 12:53 |
| #8 Dang, Frank - I was just about to eat lunch too. That'll have to wait for a while... |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2006-03-11 12:26 |
| #7 Triad, huh? Not Trident, like the cavity-fighting gum, which he's obviously never chewed ( or brushed, or seen a dentist) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-11 11:50 |
| #6 USA allowed him to thrive. A butcher's bill will be paid for this egregious error. |
| Posted by: borgboy 2006-03-11 09:55 |
| #5 DD - Star Wars Ep III. And thanks, my browser already has a cookie. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-03-11 08:33 |
| #4 Apparently, Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr forgot it was thwo-thirds of the evil triad that permitted him to come out of the shadows so he could be the one who wields growing political influence... How quickly they forget.... |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-03-11 07:29 |
| #3 Somebody ice that twerp, please. |
| Posted by: DanNY 2006-03-11 06:09 |
| #2 wow a new catch phrase - not as good as 'Axis of Evil' but not bad i guess for a savage. War of the words, is this whats its come too??? |
| Posted by: ShepUK 2006-03-11 05:55 |
| #1 Triad of evil, how original. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-03-11 04:33 |