al-Sadr blames al-Qaida for Baghdad attack

AP ^ | March 13, 2006

[jmc1969]

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose directives can send thousands of heavily armed militiamen spilling into the streets, called for calm Monday and blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for the carnage in Baghdad's Sadr City slum that killed at least 48 people.

Speaking at a news conference in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, al-Sadr also sought to blunt rage against Iraq's minority Sunni Muslim community in a bid to prevent the country from slipping into full-blown civil war.

"We are not weak, but we don't want to be dragged to a civil war. So, I will keep calling for calm," the firebrand cleric said.

Al-Sadr has evolved from a minor Shiite figure dependent on his dead father's reputation as a dissident during Saddam Hussein's regime to become one the country's most influential Shiite figures. Millions of Shiite faithful hang on his words, and on Monday he used them for a bitter attack on Iraqi leaders.

By blaming Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida fighters for the attack, al-Sadr lifted the onus of blame from the mainstream Sunni community.

While Sunnis have been deeply involved in the insurgency that has raged in Iraq since shortly after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam, their fighters have mainly fought separately from al-Qaida forces that are mainly from outside Iraq.

Al-Sadr's reaction to the deadly bombings in Sadr City around nightfall Sunday was viewed as critical to how the country's majority Shiites would respond to the attack. His declaration Monday had the potential to inspire all-out civil strife.

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1595340/posts

"The coming new wave of jihad"
The Boston Globe ^ | March 13, 2006 | Rita Katz

Posted on 03/13/2006 1:21:08 AM PST by jmc1969

[Wiz]

ping

[Joe Boucher]

For once i'm rooting for al-qaida. Please go out and kill al-sadr. please since we don't have the balls to do it.

[Wasanother]

According to the AP on yahoo, they hung 4 and some kids were playing kickball with one of the suicide bombers head.

[TexKat]

"Wha's important is that the occupiers leave because they're behind what is happening in Iraq"

Al Sadr calls U.S., Britain and Israel a Triad of Evil

3/11/2006 11:00:00 AM GMT

Iraq’s Shia cleric Muqtada Al Sadr described the United States, Israel and Britain as a "Triad of Evil".

Al Sadr, who was speaking on state-run Iraqiya television last night, said that February 22 barbaric attack which damaged a holy Shia shrine in the central Iraqi city of Samarra was carried "in collusion with the occupiers and the Zionist Entity of Israel," referring for the U.S. and Israel.

The Shia cleric was obviously playing on word the U.S. President George W. Bush previously used in one of his State of the Union addresses, in which he labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea and "axis of evil."

Commenting on the wave of sectarian attacks targeting members of Iraq’s Sunni community as well as Sunnis' mosques following Samarra blasts, Al Sadr said that they "were a natural reaction" by angry Shia, who were truly hurt because of the attack on their holy shrine. However, he strongly denounced those attacks.

Hundreds of Iraqis died in recent weeks as a result of reprisals following the attack on the Shia holy Shrine, and numerous Muslim leaders in and outside Iraq blamed the occupation for the attack, as it will benefit the invaders by breaking the Iraqi nation, turning it into warring communities fighting against each other instead of fighting the occupation forces.

Moving to the political turmoil that plagued Iraq following the Shia parliamentary bloc's nomination of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to form a new government, Al Sadr said "I don't intervene in such small matters."

However, he stated that "The candidate for prime minister must demand the withdrawal of the occupiers, or put a timetable for their pullout. I don't support any person who does not say that".

"What is important is that the occupiers leave because they are behind what is happening in Iraq."

"Putting a timetable on foreign troop withdrawal represents a victory for Iraqis not for 'terrorists'," he said.

[freema]

"His declaration Monday had the potential to inspire all-out civil strife."

Good Lord, this is a horrible impersonation of journalism.

[Reagan is King]

"What is important is that the occupiers leave because they are behind what is happening in Iraq."

Translated to: "I can't try to take over the country until the Americans leave, so hurry up".

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Iran is getting concerned, and Sadr is following orders.

[Enchante]

Yeah, a real WIN/WIN would be if the remnants of Al Qaeda in Iraq could knock off Mookie and his "aides" and then get eliminated themselves. Let all the vermin exterminate each other - too much to hope for, but that would be the best result!!

[Allegra]

Took you this long to come up with it being al-Qaeda, Mookie?

I recall that you blamed it on us right after it happened.

The day they bury you, Mookie, will be a day of celebration for a lot of us.

[Joe Boucher]

Enchante you're reading my mind.
Good job.

[river rat]

One way or another, ALL the militant, violent Muslims need to be destroyed or reformed before a lasting peace or a civil society can exist.........why not allow and encourage the Muslims to "Do it Yourself"?

Semper Fi

[hershey]

Same technique used by Arafat. Denial of responsibility when cafe is bombed and Jews dead.(Hey, I didn't do it, my hands are clean, hehehehe), but meanwhile, connivance with other Arab terrorist org./Hamas groups. Jews killed, everybody's happy but Israel. If you went back and studied Nazi techniques, you'd see the same scenario. Watched an old FBI after Nazis infiltrating the US in 1940's movie today...they outlined techniques used to take over European countries, one by one. Islamofascists doing the very same thing today, including the same propaganda, same lies.

[McGavin999]

Gee, if he has so many supporters why did he get so few seats in the Iraqi parliment?

[McGavin999]

Did you read Ali's post today? This is a part of it:

She'at sources confirmed to Al-Watan that "Al-Hakeem complained to Sistani that he's being under pressure from Iran and has been receiving threats from the Sadr trend of inciting chaos and violence in case Ja'fari was replaced by Adil Abdil Mehdi" Clarifying that "Sadr made direct threats through a phone call to Al-Hakeem that he would kill all women members in the UIA and leaders in the SCIRI if Abdil Mehdi replaced Ja'fari"

According to the same sources "Iran replaced it's strategic alliance with Al-Hakeem by one with Sadr who visited it last month" Announcing "His militias' readiness to defend Iran in case it was attacked by the US" and pointed out that " His supporters started intimidating acts against the British forces in Basra provoked by the Revolutionary Guard intelligence stationed in the city who finance and supervise those militias".
From Al-Watan Kuwaiti newspaper (Arabic link)

It's at A Free Iraqi

[jmc1969]

Yup, I read that.

Sadr is not going to let total power in Iraq slip though his grasp and he is going to do everything and anything to keep it including calling out his militia again.

There is alot of speculation that he let al-Qaeda set up the big attack in Sadr city yesterday in order to help himself politically in this all important time forming a government.

[eeriegeno]

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose directives can send thousands of heavily armed militiamen spilling into the streets, called for calm Monday

I wouldn't trust this dude farther than I can throw a bull by his gonads.....

[Marine_Uncle]

"There is alot of speculation that he let al-Qaeda set up the big attack in Sadr city yesterday in order to help himself politically in this all important time forming a government."
Any way one looks at it, this clown has to soon meet with an accident. I hate to say this, Jesus does not want us to think that way. But I cannot contain myself on this one. Men like zman and Sadr have no usefull purpose, other then serving Satan. This man is almost as bad as the democrates in how they have used African Americans for so long. Hopefully enough across the board party/lists leaders shall band together on the issue of neutralizing Sadr.