U.S. Army Says It Intends to 'Kill or Capture' Sadr

Yahoo News ^ | 4/12/04 | Reuters

[kattracks]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military intends to kill or capture rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who launched an uprising this month with his militiamen clashing with coalition soldiers in several towns and cities.

"The mission of U.S. forces is to kill or capture Moqtada al-Sadr," Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of ground forces in Iraq (news - web sites), said in a video conference from Baghdad with correspondents in the United States.

[bannie]

I like the old one: Kill for pig food.

[bannie]

Maybe announcing our intentions is our intention.

;.)

[kattracks]

U.S. Forces Seek to 'Kill or Capture' Iraq Cleric

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. commanders in Iraq (news - web sites) want rebellious Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr dead or alive but they said on Monday his militia's control of the holy city of Najaf was not a widespread uprising by the Shi'ite majority

"The mission of the U.S. forces is to kill or capture Moqtada al-Sadr," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of ground forces in Iraq, said in a video conference from Baghdad with reporters at the Pentagon (news - web sites).

Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command that covers Iraq, on the same video conference said Sadr was being isolated by fellow Shi'ites.

"Moqtada al-Sadr is isolating himself," Abizaid said. "This was not by any stretch of the imagination a Shi'ite uprising."

U.S. forces have been trying to douse a rebellion in several towns and cities by followers of Sadr, a firebrand Shi'ite cleric whose grassroots supporters are also seen as aiding rival insurgents from the Sunni minority against the U.S. occupation.

Sanchez acknowledged Sadr's followers have "some presence" in Kerbala and still control Najaf, where thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims are marking the death of one of their holiest figures.

He said U.S. forces were on the outskirts of the city, ready to attack, but they had refrained so far out of respect for Shi'ite beliefs.

"We are respecting the fact that there is a religious celebration ongoing," he said. "We have maneuvered forces down into the vicinity of Najaf to ensure that we're all prepared to conduct offensive operations to eliminate the final elements of Moqtada al-Sadr influence down there," Sanchez said.

After some of the bloodiest fighting since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), the general said southern Iraq was now stable and that U.S. forces had taken clear control of al Kut, reestablished control of Nassiriya and stabilized Hilla.

In addition to dealing with a Shi'ite rebellion in the south, U.S. forces have faced Sunni attackers in the Falluja area, which erupted with the killing and mutilation of four American contractors.

A tenuous cease-fire has been called in Falluja, but insurgents continue to attack U.S. forces, Sanchez said.

"We are not negotiating at this point until we achieve some confidence building and a period of stability. Then we would consider going into significant negotiations to end this battle," he said. "But at this point we have had continued attacks by the insurgents."

Abizaid said the Marines have been "very precise" in conducting military operations and have tried to protect civilians, and he criticized the Arab media -- specifically Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya -- for portraying the situation as U.S. forces targeting civilians.

A recent wave of hostage taking has added a new problem for coalition forces and countries to address.

Two American soldiers and seven contractors with U.S. firm Kellogg, Brown & Root are missing, Sanchez said, but added that it was not known whether they had been taken hostage.

Abizaid said he has asked the Pentagon for two brigades of "strong mobile combat arms capability" but refused to provide more details.

There are usually about 5,000 troops in a brigade, but it was unclear whether the troops would be in addition to the roughly 130,000 on the ground in Iraq or as replacements for some of them. A decision on that request was expected "soon," a defense official said.

[tessalu]

You are funny! I needed the laugh.

"Capture him, put him in a spider hole, and make him come out like Saddam Hussein on TV"

[livius]

The pause in hostilities is to minimize civilian casualties and to give him a chance to surrender

Yes, I suspect you're right.

[McGruff]

I like Drudge's version better.

The New Saddam: US Military Says It Will 'Capture or Kill' Sadr

[MeekOneGOP]

"U.S. Army Says It Intends to 'Kill or Capture' Sadr."

I hope they KILL him !!

[corkoman]

thanks chris - I gotta start hanging out with you more or at least start reading what you read.

[Dilbert56]

Once he's dead, our soldiers whould jump around in front of the cameras with rags over their faces showing Sadr' followers just how stupid they look.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for straightening that out. I was wondering about this 'negotiating' stuff
as well, even as I posted my last comment here on this thread ....

[bogdanPolska12]

Hey Katt how are you. Fire works are about to begin soon.

There is more to this then media reports and so we have problems with this stupid left wing idiots in a media, who loves to put our guys down.

Some update for you guys, I cannot give you too much, but some good news will be coming soon on a wire. I am on a phone with my brother right now again.

Our forces are fully prepared to fire with awsome fire power, either murders will surrender, or die.

Be calm and relax. Everything is fine. Marines are doing fine job so as other coalition forces. And Americans are not alone.

Simple polish guy
Bogdan

[bogdanPolska12]

How are you Chris. Good to hear from you again.

[rintense]

I vote kill.

You know, with all the radical Iranians, Syrians, AQ and Iraqis getting involved with this Sadr character, the more I'm for drawing them all into Iraq, and killing them all in one swoop. Then free Iran.

[John Jorsett]

This is news? They said LAST WEEK that they planned to kill or capture him. Is Rooters just now getting around to covering it?

They're also putting him on Double Secret Probation.

[petercooper]

I vote for kill.

[astounded]

I vote for death to the putrid little punk, all his smelly muslim accomplices, and anyone else who affiliates with him. It's way past time for a 0.50 cal round through his melon from a USMC sniper.

[KriegerGeist]

Capture him, strap his ass to a missile, then launch it to Tehran. Thanks in advance.

Right into the lap of his "patron"...grand ayatollah what's his towel-head name?

Sorry, that was Politically In-Correct:

We have been informed that the Arabs do not like to be called "towel heads".
The item they wear on their heads is actually a small sheet.
Effective immediately, please call them "little sheet heads."

[KriegerGeist]

Bull.

They've know[n] exactly where he is, but have not gone after him.

Yes, he is hiding and 'inciting' his violence in the "most holy" site in Najaf. Our military is not going to drop a bunker-buster on that...

They are waiting for this mutt to step out into the sunshine and right into a very expensive cross-hairs of a very accurate, very expensive gun scope, on a very expensive very accurate, high-powered rifle to receive his "third eye" and his (as Edie Money says:) "ticket to paradise"

[river rat]

"Maybe announcing our intentions is our intention."

Thanks, that made me feel better..
I was never accused of having any "style"....

Semper Fi

[SevenDaysInMay]

Only years and their insults keep me from joining in on the hunt.

In my opinion, no Marine has ever been in more righteous combat than fighting islamists who would destroy our nation with our Civilization. Islam's declared war crimes Terror War may never end because islam is islam as written, commanding its billion or so believers to finish conquoring the world. The Petro-dollar has bought islam's nukes. Our riflemen are prevailing on this front; may God Bless them.

It is such an honor to carry this battle to murderous iranus islamonazis where they hide behind their chattle with children, also eager participants in scouting and attacking our troops and infedel and muslim aid workers, to be burned and dismembered acording to allah's word.

Food and water can wait until islamists repulse the infedels; we're already repulsed, but we're in Iraq to rebuilt it after generations of Iraqi "self" rule.

Islam was build on a foundation of dung and invasions. Mud brick forts are a step up for marturd wannabees. Islam has lost two of its Califs, in "Spain" and "Iraq". What shame. 500 years of collective shame and now on tv. Not only is the nation of islam comprised mostly 2nd and 3rd world societies, but its religiosity corruption adds to their shame. Infedels and Jews know how to live a better life while islam commands murder. What dung for the Sunniboy Baathists and Shiitheads. Out of their smoky dung fires and palaces, this death cult is dying to conquor the world, again, as their koran commands.

This war shall not be PC.

This is war against our mortal enemies because islam commands killing of infedels, our families and friends. Do we have the political will to destroy our enemies? Even to fart in their general direction between our elections?