Sadr makes risky move

Sadr makes risky move

news.bbc.co.uk

Iraq's radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has announced that his Mehdi Army will be suspended for six months, but it is still too early to know the full significance of his statement.

To some extent it may be merely a tactic aimed at distancing himself from the recent violence in Karbala.

It is certainly a tactic he has used before to distance himself from some of the worst excesses of the Mehdi Army.

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[edit on 30-8-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Well I doubt that this guy is as good as his word and even if he dose stick to his promise he is just bidding for time. Once coalition forces have withdrawn from Iraq his "army" would become active again and add to the blood shed the worst of it we wont see on our TV screens.

All of which begs the question why is Moqtada Sadr still alive or not in a cell ?
The US should have taken the first or any chance to kill or capture this guy that came or comes up. Clearly this guy wanted no part of the political process. Maybe an amnesty could be offered to some of his lesser followers but they would probably just such an offer for breathing space or to infiltrate the Iraqi government or security forces. I doubt that any amnesty would be accepted until coalition forces leave Iraq and things are going to go down hill anyway.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 30-8-2007 by xpert11]

It is an interesting move by Moqtadad. I for one see it as a positive move. If the leader of one of the most powerful militias is willing to lay down arms for a time mabye others can follow suit?

I know perhaps a tad nieve. It will be a true test of his powers if he can get his militia to follow him and bring it back together as a whole unit as it has splintered over the last few months.

And to answer your question about why he hasn't been captured or killed i can see 2 answers. 1- The U.S isn't in control of Iraq! so have not a clue where he is, though you would think the sunni militias if they found out would let the U.S know. 2- The Americans see it as too risky and could deepen the situation in Iraq even further. At the end of the day he is only one man on a list to the Americans and his death would not end the resistance. But to his followers he is a hero, and this would enrage them and lead to more violence.

This has already been posted here.


[edit on 30-8-2007 by RedGolem]

reply to post by xpert11


To add to your question of why he is still around, that has puzzled me for a long time.

Some of his "immunity" has to do with his late father, I'm sure. He has had an arrest warrant for murder issued against him, but it was stifled by the Coalition Provisional Authority. He has a long history of getting his chubby little butt backed into a corner, then waving the white flag in order to save himself, only to resume his antics when released.

I've long advocated that he be "disappeared".

Quite shrewd by al sadr,
I think he is doing what he says-re building and recruiting.
Maybe he is lying low until the surge lessens,or maybe he thinks Iran will soon be attacked and wishes to keep his forces intact until that happens.
I can`t see it being as an example to others to stop fighting myself-its purely strategic IMO.
As JS stated,hes done this before only to re surface stronger.
I actually think he sees himself as the next leader of Iraq (the Shia anyway),and is trying to keep out of the crosshairs of the US until they leave.