Posted on 08/30/2008 8:16:02 PM PDT by forkinsocket
Dozens of Shiite radicals scrambled on Friday to sign blood oaths to continue their fight against US forces in Iraq despite an order from their leader Moqtada al-Sadr for them to lay down their arms.
Children as young as 10 were among those seen cutting their thumbs with scalpels and putting a bloodied fingerprint to a document circulated by members of the Sadr movement in the cleric's eastern Baghdad bastion of Sadr City.
All vowed to fight on, despite orders by Sadr on Thursday to his 60,000-strong Mahdi Army militia to suspend their armed operations indefinitely.
The order followed two six-month periods in which he had ordered his followers to hold their fire.
"I will follow the orders of Moqtada al-Sadr but I prefer to fight," said Adnan Habib, a 22-year-old labourer who attended Friday prayers in Sadr City.
"I want to sacrifice my soul, my family, for Sadr. I want to resist the occupier," said Habib, who was among those signing blood oaths.
Another Sadr supporter, Ali Abdel, a 19-year-old high school student, said he had been wanting to join the ranks of the Mahdi Army since the death of his mother in an attack targeting a police patrol a year ago.
"My entire family has signed to fight, including my father. If my mother was alive, she would also have signed."
When asked if he knows how to fight, Ali replied with a broad smile: "Which Iraqi does not know how to use a weapon?"
(Excerpt) Read more at afp.google.com ...
Were down to just "dozens" now.
well.. then let’s take them to task and honor their blood oaths. a couple of well placed drones should suffice.
Time to thin the Sadr follower gene pool.
Oh, crap. Not DOZENS. That’s almost 10 more than Quagmire Strength.
L
Interesting news about the Shi'ia in Iraq.
Why don't these guys chill. All they have to do is relax, and they will have all their public holidays and pilgrimages, lots of good food , and a repaired economy.
Sometimes I think that peace actually scares them.
They will die to the last man and boy otherwise, which is a tremendous waste. Warriors like these should be building their country, not destroying it.
I guess I just don't get it.
Decapitate that bunch of snakes...
Again? Didn't we have them down to about 30 old guys?
Hell, you and me can take 'em out, DB.
Got any ammo? .303 Enfield? .............. FRegards
What’s up Candor!
Well, the things I have picked up on are:
1) It’s a humiliation that Iraq was liberated from the Ba’thists by Americans & not by them.
2) Iraqi Shi’a have a long history of feeling screwed by British & they freak out at any sign that the American plan to do the same.
3) Middle Easterners are xenophobic by nature.
4) Sadr’s people are the poor & the marginalized & whenever they feel neglected by the state, they blame it on the Americans & their Iraqi “puppet government”.
Sadr’s decision to put his energies into building a social movement can turn out to be very dangerous & I wonder if enough people realize that. It’s been done successfully by Hamas but especially Hezbullah, who have built a state within a state & given an entire network of services (schools, hospitals, wells, charities) to a population neglected by the state. In exchange for the people’s votes & blood. Sadr wants to do the same.
Well, it looks like they want to fight,a nd I gy=uess the willl get what they want. Pretty soon all of the Al Qu'aida Areas will be secured, and they Sadrist will be next. The USA will not leave Iraq until they are neutralized, even if the Iraqi PM wants the USA to go anyway, it won't matter. They will not leave the Sadrists with a ready army in place.
Looks like one more shoot out before its over.
Funny that you mention it. I have a Lee Enfield ( Australian)No. 4 and about 1000 rounds of Brit .303 ammo.
I am looking for a Canadian mate to it ( Longbranch) No. 4. Maybe I 'll find one some day.
I have a lot of fun with it.
Sadr needs to be eliminated.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.