Worries grow with expansion of Al-Sadr's army

AP ^ | December 7 2006

[jmc1969]

The Iraq Study Group says the private army of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr could be 60-thousand fighters strong.

Al-Sadr's Mahdi army is one of the concerns highlighted in the Iraq Study Group's report, released yesterday. It's one of many factions undermining U-S efforts to help Iraq's democracy gain control.

The study group says many of al-Sadr's followers are planted throughout the security forces that protect Iraqi government institutions.

And more worrisome than their numbers, which stood at ten-thousand in 2005, is al-Sadr's organizational ability. One terrorism expert says cell phones, Internet communications and other technology gives the Mahdi army an "enormous" ability to mobilize their forces.

And the panel worries that al-Sadr himself may not be able to manage his growing network.

[KingArthur305]

Baker says lets wipe them out.

[Brilliant]

Better yet, tell the Sunnis that if they wipe al Sadr's army out, we'll just watch.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Baker says lets wipe them out.

Does he? If so, it's proof that even an amoral foreign-policy reactionary, like a stopped clock, can be right once in a while.

[jmc1969]

No, Baker says we should negotate with Sadr and Iran to disarm the Madhi Army

[dr_who_2]

Prepare to worry more and do even less.

[dr_who_2]

What did the Sunnis do when Hussein invaded Kuwait?

[Dog Gone]

I think we are scaring ourselves too much.

Why should any country be afraid that WE could mobilize troops using cell phones to call possible recruits to the front lines? We'll continue to slaughter them, and the only thing that can stop us is.........us.

These ain't elite fighters.

[mcshot]

All this PC crap has brought me to the feeling of impending doom with those responsible for such blaming it on someone else.

[Yo-Yo]

What did the Sunnis do when Hussein invaded Kuwait?

They led the Republican Guard.

[AZLiberty]

Who do you suppose controls the cell phones and Internet in Iraq?

[Yo-Yo]

Better yet, tell the Sunnis that if they wipe al Sadr's army out, we'll just watch.

That's exactly what's happening already, and what has everybody's panties in a bunch regarding the "quagmire."

[Parrot_was_devastating]

Shia have been the big winners also in the Loot Iraqi oil game, ...some $750 Million looted in 2003 when their crime network was in its infancy.
Russia eye's its lost Lukoil concession in West Qurna....which is in Shia terror-tory west of Basra.
Qurna's big [Wikipedia]-one of Iraq's largest oil fields, loacated north of Rumaila field, west of Basra. West Qurna is believed to hold 11 to 15 billion barrel (1.8 to 2.4 km³) of recoverable reserve and have production potential of 0.8 to 1.0 million barrel per day (1.5 to 1.8 m³/s).

To date, petroleum geologists have delineated and mapped over 526 prospects — drilling 131 prospects to discover 73 major fields. They have identified some 239 as having a high degree of certainty, but those prospects remain undrilled. Thirty fields have been partially developed and only 12 fields are actually onstream. Undrilled structures and undeveloped fields could represent the largest untapped hydrocarbon resource anywhere in the world.
About 30 to 40 percent of discovered Iraqi oil reserves lie within a few thousand feet of the surface, while more than 60 percent of the discovered reserves lie within 10,000 feet. Most of Iraq’s proven oil reserves are distributed over 73 fields, nine of which are super-giants and 22 of which are giants. The remainder are considered large by world standards.[Geo Times]

add to this....Iraqi oil is Low Sulphur in content...which is highly desireable for existing Low Sulphur process at U.S.refineries.

Maybe its time for the Saudi's to go fight for Allah's blessing,
Allah can sort out the bodies later.

wonder how that showcase military of theirs would do in real battle : )

[zarf]

This one is truly Bush's fault.

Should we give them roses perhaps?

[zarf]

This one is truly Bush's fault.

Should we give them roses perhaps?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

No, Baker says we should negotate with Sadr and Iran to disarm the Madhi Army.

Right, that'll work. And after Muqtada takes over as the new religious head of non-Kurdish Iraq, Iran's new puppet, Baker will send Scowcroft over to raise a glass.

[Jorge]

They should have dealt with fat boy way back when they had the chance...and it wouldn't have come to this.

Now the little creep's gonna drag thousands down with him.

It amazes me how the degenerate Islam masses elevate these zeros as their leaders.

[JustDoItAlways]

We should have taken out al-Sadr and his army when we had the chance.

We should have stopped the Sunni and al-qaeda terrorists from blowing up more than 100 Shia civilians daily when we had the chance.

We blew the chances and I don't blame the Shias for finally having enough of the bombs and beheading and deciding to directly take on the Sunni terrorists in direct combat and direct tit-for-tat beheadings.

Maybe the Iraqi government should have stopped it sooner. Maybe the US should have stopped it sooner. But any man can only take seeing his fellow tribemen getting blown up and beheaded for so long before he steps up to the plate and takes on the job himself.

I am afraid we have to let them fight it out.

If the al-aqaeda terrorists win the battle, we have to go back in and really kick butt this time.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Step 1) Mookie gets a 50 cal attitude adjustment TOMORROW!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

We had a chance in April of 2004 to take out this scumbag now it looks like we're going to pay for it one way or another.