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Iraq
US-Iraqi forces raid Sadr city, PM disavows attack
2006-10-26
Iraqi special forces backed by US advisers launched a raid
The prime minister disavowed the raid, saying he was not consulted before the attack. The Americans said in an announcement that they were looking for a "top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death-squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad."
into the capital's Sadr Shi'ite slum Wednesday trying to capture a top militia commander wanted for running a Shi'ite death squad. The prime minister disavowed the raid, saying he was not consulted before the attack in which at least four people were killed and 18 wounded. The Americans said in an announcement that they were looking for a "top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death-squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad."

The military said that Mahdi Army militiamen fought back and the Americans called in an air strike and cordoned the sprawling east Baghdad region.
Posted by:Fred

#14  Maliki, standing by his Sadrist coalition partners, or Maliki, playing good cop? Both seem plausible.

What seems more significant is that A. Coalition forces are FINALLY launching raids in Sadr City, and hitting the Mahdi army there, on its homeground. B. The raid was launched Iraqi forces (albeit by Spec Forces, probably the most reliable units in the Iraqi Army IIUC) C. So far no apology from MNF or from Iraqi army for the raid, despite Maliki.

If Maliki seriously opposed this, then the coalition has just demonstrated that at least some units in the Iraqi army will work with the US and ignore Maliki (perhaps on orders from Min of Def Dulaimi) In which case what LOTP said is what is going on. Sort of a creeping coup d'etat.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-10-26 11:22  

#13  Heh, lotp. A militia of one in Horn's case, or so Marshall Joe Belle successfully peddled to the court.

I'm surprised nobody's brought up the Lincoln County War, yet - pretty flashy militia, er Regulators, like William Bonny, Dave Rudabaugh, Jose Chavez, Doc Scurlock, Dick Brewer (&etc)...
Posted by: .com   2006-10-26 09:34  

#12  LOL .com.

Maliki's facing a "come to Jesus" moment.
Posted by: lotp   2006-10-26 07:38  

#11  Or the Cattlemen's Association, Tom Horn, etc.
Posted by: .com   2006-10-26 04:35  

#10  I disavow the PM. Could it be that al-Sadrites are part of his ruling coalition? Could it be that favoritism to a Mahdist Shiite militia would be a constitutional non-starter with Kurds and Sunnis?

Private militias destroy countries. Ask Somalis, Serbs, Sudanese, Yemenis, etc.

Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550   2006-10-26 04:20  

#9  You just punched your ticket to Oslo, L-Dub. Very statesmanlike, indeed.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-10-26 01:22  

#8  Remember the global 3-D Vulcan chess game we're playing here.

That's the problem. We need some good old fashioned Dhimmi Carter peanut farmer foreign policy checkers here.

First, pay them huge sums of cash to renounce violence. Second, the USA agrees to provide all three sides with an amount of oil equivalent to Iraq's total maximum annual output of oil. Third, we promise never to use military force in Iraq again unless Iran approves of the operation.

That's called mad negotiating skilz. Can you say "nobel prize".
Posted by: Lanny Ddub   2006-10-26 00:52  

#7  Yes, Shieldwolf, that was my thought. Plus I think it's part of US election politix... good cop Bush floats the 'timetable' meme, bad cop Maliki shoots it down, the Troops Home Now! folks get to stew in their own bile a bit longer. Remember the global 3-D Vulcan chess game we're playing here.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-10-26 00:40  

#6  Or maybe good cop, bad cop? The PM gets one guy released and disavows this raid. Maybe he is setting up the Chicago Alderman scenario : "Youse guys know you can work with me. Dem downtown ain't got no sense of humor. Give me a little something to pass on, and we can work something out."
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2006-10-26 00:30  

#5   Cajones as big as peppercorns, I see.

way too generous gorb, mustard seeds would be more accurate and that's givin Maliki the benefit of diplo-nice.
Posted by: the Twelfth Imami   2006-10-26 00:26  

#4  Cajones as big as peppercorns, I see.
Posted by: gorb   2006-10-26 00:18  

#3  Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-10-26 00:16  

#2  Does seem probable, doesn't it?
Posted by: Pappy   2006-10-26 00:12  

#1  Vote of no confidence?
Posted by: Jonathan   2006-10-26 00:06  

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