Iraqi cleric calls off militias. {Breaking News}

Iraqi cleric calls off militias. [Breaking News]

news.bbc.co.uk

Iraqi cleric calls off militias

Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has ordered his fighters off the streets of Basra and other cities in an effort to end clashes with security forces.
He said in a statement that his movement wanted the Iraqi people to stop the bloodshed and maintain its independence and stability.

Previously Mr Sadr had defied a government deadline to hand over weapons in return for cash.

The fighting has claimed more than 240 lives across the country since Tuesday

(visit the link for the full news article)

So a day ago the guys saying there's no chance of handing over the weapons and the fight will go on...

A day later and he's all peace and smiles. Let's all be friends.

What happened? These people don't just change their minds... or do they?

You tell me!!

MonKey

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

Edit to add - The quote is the whole article as it stands at time of posting.

[edit on 30/3/08 by ChiKeyMonKey]

This is only an opinion...

al-Sadar saw that the Iraqi armies along with American firepower were too well coordinated and aggressive,

the Mahdi (army/militia) is doing a strategic withdrawl from the conflict, to preserve itself, otherwise al-Sadar would have no force for leveraging the Iraqi govt (puppet gov't more correctly).

they, insurgents & militia alike, are licking their wounds to come back another day... at their choosing, when it's more likely to have success-

a sucess that must rely on public support, which it does not seem to have right now

The article has been expanded now...

It goes on to say...

Moqtada Sadr's statement said: "Because of the religious responsibility, and to stop Iraqi blood being shed, and to maintain the unity of Iraq and to put an end to this sedition that the occupiers and their followers want to spread among the Iraqi people, we call for an end to armed appearances in Basra and all other provinces.

Also it appears that the allied forces have indeed gotten much more involved in the fighting over the last few days.

So as St Udio said in so many words - a tactical withdrawal.

MonKey

reply to post by ChiKeyMonKey


I read a few articles about air raids by the US/Allies on Basra, bombing them.
Clearly, these along with Iraqi/Allied raids to uproot the insurgents/terrorists have been working VERY well.

Hopefully we learned our lesson's from Korea/Vietnam and not stop to allow the enemy to rearm and gather more insurgent fighters.

With Muslium terrorits leaders, the only thing that they understand is force, if they back off, clearly they met a far superior military force that could wipe them out if they did not go back into hidding.

Terrorists standing around with rocket launchers and such make easy targets-his show of force became his show of dead fighters.

reply to post by ChiKeyMonKey


No, ChiKey, i don't think they just change their minds... Sadr will continue
his fight, only now from, most likely, suicide bombings to come.

That's what seems to happen a week or two later, after a lull...

Or perhaps Sadr was bought off with the endless stream of American tax dollars flowing into Iraq with little or no accountability.

reply to post by whaaa


Well they are offering cash for weapons, and in effect he is controlling all the weapons. So 2 and 2 can sometimes make errrrr 6.

Guess we'll never know, but he was getting his ass handed to him, might have got a roll of hundreds to go with it!

MonKey

Sadr does not control most of the terrorist in the south. He only controls his little playground. This comes from Brits on the ground in Basra right now so they would know. Sadr is just trying to make himself look good while the terrorist in the south have been causing trouble for along time. The Iraqi police told the Brits that they would not be able to control Basra when the Brits drew down their forces their and guess what, They were right.

I hope a U.S. Marine pistol whips Sadr soon for all the deaths that he has caused.

reply to post by ChiKeyMonKey


Sadr did the same thing a couple years ago in Karbala, trying to assert his milita there. The U.S. then came in and stomped down on him and he retreated with his tail tucked between his legs. He wants to be a major player but lacks the military muscle to do so. The best he can do is grand stand events like this.

His ceasefire is just meant to keep what arms and fighters he still has operational in the future. He will keep on looking for the right spot to fight again unless he is really defanged.

Id say that the surge must have caused Al-Sadr's Mahdi army to be under tremendous pressure.

They are outnumber and outclassed by American troops. Basically its game over for them.

They must have thought going through this pretence of armistice would keep them from being defeated and tried in court.

Yes , This is the millitants way.
With one hand takes the money from the Americans, and with the other hand buy the bombs to kill them with.
I hope we don't let up this time.
If you start an operation let's finish it and maybe our boys can come home some day.
Now would be a good time for prayer for them.
God bless them.

Originally posted by TimeTracker
Yes , This is the millitants way.
With one hand takes the money from the Americans, and with the other hand buy the bombs to kill them with.
I hope we don't let up this time.
If you start an operation let's finish it and maybe our boys can come home some day.
Now would be a good time for prayer for them.
God bless them.

Damm straight. Maybe if we'd just done away with madass the first time round, none of this crap would be so on-going.

Finish the job and get the troops home.

MonKey

this has to stop.

Damn the Bush.

We need to do a WWII on these ass clowns.

Wipe them out.