Posted on 12/05/2008 4:02:24 AM PST by tobyhill
The followers of Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr once were powerful enough to do battle against the U.S. military, play kingmaker in choosing Iraq's prime minister and declare themselves the true defenders of the country's Shiite majority.
But parliament's approval last week of a security agreement that requires U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, a date the Sadrists consider far too distant, has underscored the movement's waning influence. Sadr's loyalists are on the defensive, struggling to remain politically relevant as the U.S. role in Iraq diminishes and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gains stature.
The day after the agreement's passage, anger lined the face of Hazim al-Araji, Sadr's top aide. Inside a gold-domed shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiyah neighborhood, he railed against Iraq's lawmakers. "They ignored our ideas and thoughts when they signed this agreement," he said from his pulpit. "They paid no attention to all our martyrs who gave their blood fighting the occupation."
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
A nice story about the emasculation of Mookie.
If only my guys and I could've killed more of 'em...al Sadr and JAM are utter pieces of $h!t. Good riddance to all of them.
You did a great job with them, though. If you hadn't, the skies would have been thick with mortars and rockets the day the SOFA was passed by Parliament.
Poor al-Sadr’s so depressed about his diminishing influence that he hasn’t touched his goat for over a week now.
The goat, however, is elated.
This type of defeat is far more satisfying and complete than a bullet would have been.
Mixed thoughts about that. If dead, he'd be a martyr and his followers would be in a continuous frothy frenzy. Though alive and marginalized, he can always conspire, rally and return.
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