WAR: Iraq Says Offensive Vs. Cleric to Start, page 1

posted on Aug, 19 2004 @ 06:50 AM

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The radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has to surrender his arms and pledge to refrain from violence in order to avoid a pending attack by Iraqi forces in a few hours.

story.news.yahoo.com
NAJAF, Iraq - An Iraqi Cabinet minister said Thursday that Iraqi forces could begin an offensive against Muqtada al-Sadr within hours, despite the firebrand cleric's acceptance of a peace proposal

To prevent an imminent attack on his forces, who are holed up in the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, al-Sadr must immediately disarm his Mahdi Army militia and hand over its weapons to the authorities, Minister of State Qassim Dawoud said.

The cleric must also sign a statement saying he will refrain from future violence and release all civilians and Iraqi security forces his militants have kidnapped. In addition, al-Sadr must hold a news conference to announce he is disbanding the Mahdi Army.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I am surprised that they even negotiated with him given the fact that he has used this tactic in the past to rearm and regroup. Better to take him down while we still have a chance and give the Iraqi's a chance once we pull out. Also, it gives other groups more reason to take up arms and resist etc.

[edit on 8-19-2004 by Valhall]

Valhall

posted on Aug, 19 2004 @ 06:59 AM

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Just a point of clarification. The article states that the Iraqi forces are about to launch an attack. But then in your closing statements you state "we" as if the U.S. Military is about to do this.

As far as I can tell, any attack will be only Iraqi forces...and for good reason.

gattaca

posted on Aug, 19 2004 @ 07:46 AM

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I just watched on CNN breaking news with "live" transmissions.Something is going on in Najaf and they said that probably the offensive has just begun.

and there is another problem.if they use some kind of "exotic" weapons like microwave weapons or sonic weapons??now it's still unclear so we can only quess.What do you think??

sanctum

posted on Aug, 19 2004 @ 09:35 AM

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Another aide to Sadr, Sheikh Aws Al Khafaji, told Al Jazeera television: "We will not hand the keys of the mausoleum to the American forces because it will be a shame that will haunt us forever."

Mr Khafaji, the head of Sadr's office in the southern Shiite city of Nasiriyah, added: "We will not hand them to the Iraqi police or national guards who have violated sacred shrines and spilled the blood of Muslims."

Mr Khafaji said Sadr followers would only hand the keys to Shiite authorities, particularly followers of venerated Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani.

www.abc.net.au...

This whole stand-off is getting more complicated by the hour.
Sanc'.

marg6043

posted on Aug, 19 2004 @ 09:49 AM

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It is very simple is turning into the holy war that the Islamic radicals wants, you are right sanctum it is becoming complicated and it is just the beginning.

I remember that when they took Sadam out of his hide out one of the soldier told him that the war was over and he lost, and he very defiant say that the war was not over.

I wonder if this was an omen of some kind after all he knows his own people better than anybody else.