Al-Sadr threatens new uprising if crackdown continues

This should cause people not to sleep well at night. If people thought the Sunni insurgency was bad, think about what the full force and might of an armed and angry Sadr brigade will do. God help them all.

Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a “final warning” to the government Saturday to halt the U.S.-Iraqi crackdown against his followers or he would declare “open war until liberation.”

Liberation? Thise causes one to ponder what Mookie's relationship was with Saddam Hussein.

Maybe he means "until liberalism."

Go home USA.

"Al-Sadr, who is believed to be in Iran ....”

Hmmm.

I've read reports like this a number of times but have never seen the anti-liberation, sham pacifist crowd call this guy a "chickenhawk."

Odd choice of link for this story above. You read other news reports and it looks like al-Sadr's boys got their butts kicked:

"Iraqi soldiers swooped on the Basra stronghold of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday, saying they had seized control of his militia bastion where they suffered an embarrassing setback in late March.

"The dawn raid by government troops on the Hayaniya district of the southern oil city was backed by a thunderous bombardment by U.S. warplanes and British artillery.

"It came after more intense fighting in Baghdad between security forces and Sadr’s black-masked militiamen. Police said 12 people had been killed in the Shi’ite slum of Sadr City and hospitals said they received more than 130 wounded overnight. …

“Our troops deployed in all the parts of the (Hayaniya) district and controlled it without much resistance,” Khalaf told Reuters. “Now we are working on house-to-house checking. We have made many arrests.”

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/04/19/iraqis-forces-seize-mahdi-stronghold-in-basra/

"On Saturday, a Washington-based group that monitors Islamic extremists said al-Qaida in Iraq has announced a one-month offensive against U.S. troops.

"The SITE group said the announcement was made on Web sites by the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who took over the extremist group after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006."

Looks like Al Qaeda is getting routed in Iraq, or their brand of terror and their vision of a new Caliphate is less and less appealing to Mohammedans - the cash is drying up.

"Speaking before congress in February, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Michael McConnell commented that during the previous 12-18 months the intelligence community noticed that “al Qaeda has had difficulty in raising funds and sustaining themselves.” In early April, Undersecretary of the Treasury Stuart Levey echoed the DNI’s assessment, adding that the government’s efforts to combat terrorist financing “are more integrated than ever before” and have enabled the government to disrupt or deter some sources of al-Qaida financing and make “significant progress mapping terrorist networks.” A Philippine military official, for example, recently disclosed that lack of funding was a major factor hindering the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group from carrying out major attacks, the last of which was conducted in 2005."

http://ctc.usma.edu/sentinel/CTCSentinel-Vol1Iss5.pdf

Stay the cource USA. Only USA can win this war and bring stability to Iraq then get some cheap oil so that Americans can drive to a Mc Donalds drive-in and eat a big mac and grow even bigger.

Go home USA.

It would save a lot of lives if the US did go home. Instead of dragging on this long disaterous pipe-dream of a group of greed-fuelled American madmen, it's clearly time to admit defeat. What al-Sadr is insinuating is that the Iraqi "government" back down once again to his minions or face all out civil war. The American over-lords will not accept an about-face.

The way I say it, the invaders can either stay and continue to pit everyone against everyone and multiply the bloodshed over the course of the next few years, or piss off home admitting defeat to yet another third world insurgency and give the majority of Iraqi's what they want - an Iranian style, Islamic theocracy with all powerful al-Sadr behind the fundie wheel. Fair enough - they definitely won't give the American conglomerates the sweatheart oil deals and lucrative reconstruction contracts they were promised, but let's face it, they've had enough booty since '03. And the locals will probably stop the frenzied killing of each other as much as they have been with a good old fashioned strongman at the helm.

Let's face it - the only people who think this is going to get even the slightest bit better are the few crazed, red-eyed American fundimentalists still loyal to the bush sect. And even their numbers have massively dwindled in light of the abortion this has become. And let us not forget these are the same people who shrieked about "mushroom clouds over NYC", that the insurgency was "nearly over" and that this elusive democratic USA-style eutopia (monster truck extravaganza's included) was just around the corner.

Sadly, there 'aint going to be no "peace with honor" this time. And with a bit of luck, the next time a puppet for corporate greed buys it's way into the whitehouse, the American public will refuse to green-light yet another murderous foray into a feeble third-world country in an atempt to tell them how to live....

It would save a lot of lives if the US did go home

Easy to say for someone who's life is not at risk or has no stake in Iraq.

vor;

No, it's easy to say for someone who opposed the invasion madness from the outset and sees no other end to the killing until the people who caused the killing bog off back where they belong.

What, you're about to tell me that the invasion is a "success"? The "surge is working"?

"Nearly over"?

Puh-lease. You people had your moment. The pooch is long screwed.

And anyway vor, bollocks to your "stake in Iraq".

"What al-Sadr is insinuating is that the Iraqi "government" back down once again to his minions or face all out civil war. "

Back to "civil war" again, are we?

Back?

The place has been in a perpetual state of civil war since 2003, with only 160,000 occupation troops keeping the "peace", despte 5 long years of wing-nut Denial.

If you don't thibk al-Sadr's latest declaration isn't a worry for those still clinging to the neo-con delusion then I'm afraid you need help.

With all that power and influence why is al Sadr in Iran?

Everybody seems to want the US to leave. Be patient people.

They will, and probably sooner rather than later.

But since they left a bit too early, they (or someone) is going to have to go right back in again a few years down the road.

The Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani is the most influential Shia figure in Iraq. He has recently sided against al-Sadr and with the Maliki gov't.

USA war losers.

Stay the cource USA. Only USA can win this war and bring stability to Iraq then get some cheap oil so that Americans can drive to a Mc Donalds drive-in and eat a big mac and grow even bigger.

USA war losers.

My, my, my, Japan Today is really giving some latitude to the new crop of anti-Americans, ne? Hoping they'll bring some friends? ;)

"With all that power and influence why is al Sadr in Iran?"

He's allegedly in Iran because he claims "the occupier" is trying to bump his ass off. In fact, redact, some American supporters of the invasion - at least one of you notably on this thread, have openly called for al-Sadr to be assasinated by the occupier.

The fact that al-Sadr basks in popular support drom the majority shiite population in Iraq clearly means nothing to those that continue to make the deluded, nay even derranged claim that they're exporting their very own brand of "democracy" over there.

There's more holes in your collective ideology than there is in a slab of Leerdamer.

I note Condi Rice was very brave today too. Only announced to her visit to Baghdad three lowly hours after she left. And to think old Mahmoud next-door can announce a visit one month in advance!

Heh, I'm so glad there are people here to let me know everything is really going swell in bush's Iraq....despite the fact that a "rogue" Immam is threatening "all out war" with the US backed "government" if they don't lay off his henchman.

I've said it before and I'll reiterate; this level of Denial needs a new word....or a medical term.

A civil war in Iraq will take more time to end. If People in Iraq understand what they have traded off for freedom from Sadam Husein regime, they need to accept the first stage of transition, then peacefully work together among ethnic tribes to develop their country to be an independent country like Kuwait, and other neighboring countries. If they don't see the outcome of peace and prosperity for their future, no one can help them.

Madverts:It is true that people like you and I called this ages ago, and the stupidity of war supporters is still as baffling as ever.

madverts,

dude relax. Just trying to find out what makes you think the killing in Iraq is going to stop after the Americans pull out?

You don't seem to have any stake in Iraqi affairs yet you appear very concerned with the whole situation.

If you truly are concerned with the Iraqi people and you think they will be safer if the Americans pull out before the country is stabilized I;m interested in seeing if you really thought this out or you are just another instant expert on the subject.

"Heh, I'm so glad there are people here to let me know everything is really going swell in bush's Iraq....despite the fact that a "rogue" Immam is threatening "all out war" with the US backed "government" if they don't lay off his henchman."

Lay off his henchmen?

They surrendered.

And their leader brave Moqtada al Sadr is hiding in Iran.

Condi Rice is in his kitchen and laughing at him. She called him a coward.

Al Sistani, the most revered Shia leader in Iraq, has told Al Sadr to cease his troublemaking.

That said, should the situation go south it will be blood on Britain's hands -

"It may even be necessary to reinforce the British contingent with more combat troops, something that the Ministry of Defence can ill afford as it prepares for the fighting season in Afghanistan.

"The only other option would be for Britain to admit finally that it has lost the fight in southern Iraq. That would mean an ignominious withdrawal and handing over control of Basra to the Americans, who grudgingly would have to take over responsibility for the south. As American officers and officials have privately made clear, much of today’s problems in Basra can be traced back to Britain’s failure to commit the forces necessary to control Basra and southern Iraq in general. "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3635455.ece

vor - "If you truly are concerned with the Iraqi people...."

You see the funny thing is, the people who say things like this really don't give a toss about ordinary Iraqis.

They only say they do to cover the fact that every other argument and justification they have for wanting America to remain in Iraq has been totally nuked.

redacted - "Condi Rice is in his kitchen and laughing at him. She called him a coward."

you're right, she did call him a coward. Right after she bravely slinked into Iraq under cover of the dead of night in a bold and inspiring chimney-hopping midnight helicoptor run from an unnannouced flight on an unscheduled plane that took off at an unspecified time from an unknown U.S. airbase.

Intriguingly, that's almost as "brave" as you are, perched behind your PC, bravely firing off "patriotic" posts from behind a bold and daring handle name. LOL!