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| Iraq |
| 'Iraq must not isolate al-Sadr movement' |
| 2008-04-30 |
| Iraq’s government will pursue its war on militias but must avoid isolating the movement of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr or pushing his followers into the arms of groups bent on chaos, the deputy prime minister says. Shia Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched an offensive against militias a month ago, sparking fighting with Sadr’s Mehdi Army that has led to hundreds of deaths. Some analysts say if the government pushes too hard - including carrying out a threat to bar the Sadr movement from October elections unless the Mehdi Army is disbanded - the cleric could launch a full-scale uprising. Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said the government had to distinguish between Sadr’s mass movement and so-called “special groups”, which the US military says are rogue Mehdi Army elements backed by Iran. “This is a major political challenge for us as a government, to avoid pushing the followers of the Sadr movement together with the special groups,” Salih said in an interview this week. “On the other hand, leaders of the Sadr movement must also help in distinguishing themselves and their followers from these bad elements who are trying to hijack their movement to use it as a cover for their malicious agenda.” The US military accuses Shia Iran of giving arms, funds and training to the “special groups”. Iran denies the allegations. Maliki says his crackdown is designed to disarm militias, but Sadr’s followers see it as an attempt to sideline the movement before provincial elections on Oct. 1. Competing in local polls for the first time, the movement could do well at the expense of Shia parties backing Maliki, especially because it provides food and services to poor Iraqis. A report by a US-based relief group this month said the movement was now Iraq’s main humanitarian organisation. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 heh |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-04-30 20:17 |
| #7 When he says 'isolate' does he mean 'hunt them for sport'? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2008-04-30 20:15 |
| #6 The Iraqi govt can say anything it wants for the fools in the media. But the bottom line is Maliki is through with Tater and his Tots. They are attritting the Mighty Medhi Army™ and discrediting Tater into irrelevance. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-04-30 12:14 |
| #5 they must feel quite conflicted over there at the Pakistan Daily Times Pak Sunnis and Pak Shias have been going at it for many years (Sunnis getting the best of it) probably with tens of thousands of deaths (reported totals are much lower). But this is a Shia vs Shia battle --- how could that be??? |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-04-30 09:23 |
| #4 Iraq’s government will pursue its war on militias but must avoid isolating the movement of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr or pushing his followers into the arms of groups bent on chaos, the deputy prime minister says. Hmmm...that's funny. I wonder why the "reporter" didn't include any quotation marks here. Doesn't this just beg for a quote? Shia Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched an offensive against militias a month ago, sparking fighting with Sadr’s Mehdi Army that has led to hundreds of deaths. Gosh, I wonder why the "reporter" didn't give us any sort of breakdown on these deaths. Mehdi Army? US troops? Iraqi Army? Some analysts say if the government pushes too hard - including carrying out a threat to bar the Sadr movement from October elections unless the Mehdi Army is disbanded - the cleric could launch a full-scale uprising. Ah yes, "some analysts". I think those would be those same "analysts" whom "reporters" always love to "quote". Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said the government had to distinguish between Sadr’s mass movement and so-called “special groups”, which the US military says are rogue Mehdi Army elements backed by Iran. “This is a major political challenge for us as a government, to avoid pushing the followers of the Sadr movement together with the special groups,” Salih said in an interview this week. AH HA! an acutal quote!! Well Ok, but saying that it is a political challenge to avoid pushing followers of the Sadr movement together with Iranian special groups is a fairly mild, no-brainer statement which is a far cry from being a quote supporting the premise being floated which is that Iraq must cower in fear over against the Mehid Army I'm sorry, I just get a little bit tired of this agenda driven crap. It's always the same line of cowardice that always motivates their narrative: You can't do anything because if you do then you might make them reeeally mad. This particular reporters attempt to portray the Iraqi government as shivering in fear in the face of the superior Mehdi army is successful only in the sense that he arranged his words and paragraphs to make it seem that one quote from Prime Minister Salih supports his idea that the Iraq is somehow impotent to act against the Mehdi army. |
| Posted by: Sninert Black9312 2008-04-30 05:30 |
| #3 or pushing his followers into the arms of groups bent on chaos What groups? This is the last big group AFAIK. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-04-30 01:00 |
| #2 Daily Times: ...parapharasing: 'if Mookie is left out of the process then', "the cleric [Sadr] could launch a full-scale uprising." with what? his personal butt plug and dildo? |
| Posted by: ZORO 2008-04-30 00:41 |
| #1 A report by a US-based relief group this month said the movement was now IraqÂ’s main humanitarian organisation. Just like Hesb'allah - another Iranian subsidiary. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-04-30 00:07 |