Mean mugging
Posted on 12/15/2006 9:00:33 AM PST by TexKat
December 15, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The decision by radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his political bloc out of the Iraqi government to protest Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's decision to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush on November 30 has brought the Iraqi political process to a virtual standstill.
Major Iraqi political parties have now engaged in behind-the-scenes talks to form a new political alliance to help break the impasse. The Iraqi daily "Al-Azzam" reported on December 12 that the main Shi'ite party in Iraq, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), has been in discussions with the Kurdish Alliance and the Sunni-led Iraqi Islamic Party to form a new political coalition. The aim would be to exclude al-Sadr's bloc, whose support the current government relies on to survive.
Although politicians involved in the preliminary discussions denied that they were seeking to sideline al-Sadr's bloc, comments by Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih of the Kurdish Alliance on December 12 clearly suggest that the main cause of the current political crisis are militant politicians like al-Sadr.
"A number of key political parties, across the sectarian-ethnic divide, recognize the gravity of the situation and have become increasingly aware that their fate, and that of the country, cannot be held hostage by the whims of the extreme fringe within their communities," "The New York Times" quoted Salih as saying.
Breaking The Impasse
A November 8 memo written by U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley and leaked to "The New York Times" on November 29 listed several recommendations to strengthen Prime Minister al-Maliki's beleaguered government. Among them were for al-Maliki to "bring his political strategy with Muqtada al-Sadr to a closure" and for the United States to "actively support al-Maliki in helping him develop an alternative political base."
The new political alliance of Shi'ite, Kurdish, and Sunni groups is essentially what Hadley's memo was referring to, and could be an effective way of breaking Iraq's political logjam. "The aim of these agreements is to improve civil peace and enhance national unity and strengthen the political process," Jalal al-Din al-Saghir, a senior SCIRI official, was quoted by AFP on December 11 as saying.
One of the main criticisms of al-Maliki's government by both Sunnis and U.S. officials is his inability or unwillingness to reign in al-Sadr's militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, which has been widely accused of carrying out sectarian attacks.
With 34 seats in the Iraqi parliament, al-Sadr is an integral component of al-Maliki's governing coalition and the prime minister is politically dependent on him. Consequently, al-Sadr's removal from the governing coalition would free al-Maliki's hands and give him the political breathing room to press al-Sadr to reign in his militia.
"We want a patriotic front that can bypass sectarianism and should be open to all who want to join. We call for resolving the militia issue, which is certainly the key to defusing the crisis," AFP quoted Iraqi Islamic Party member Omar Abd al-Sattar Mahmud on December 11 as saying.
Moreover, without al-Sadr's obstructionist tendencies, a stable and relatively unified political alliance would be able to undertake some of the more pressing issues, such as drafting a comprehensive oil law and reviewing the Iraqi Constitution, which is a main Sunni demand.
Potential Risks Of New Alliance
The formation of a new political alliance across sectarian lines carries with it several risks, most notably the threat of increased violence. Al-Sadr's power comes from his ability to mobilize his militia. The Imam Al-Mahdi Army was behind two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and al-Sadr could instigate another confrontation with U.S. forces if feels he is being politically marginalized.
Also, ostracizing al-Sadr could radicalize him even further, and free him to unleash his militia on the Sunni Arabs, which in turn could lead to reprisal attacks and a steep rise in sectarian violence.
If SCIRI leader Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim and al-Maliki move to exclude al-Sadr from the Shi'ite United Iraqi Alliance, it could also force Iraq's top Shi'ite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to intervene and stress the importance of Shi'ite unity above all else.
For Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, the leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a coalition with SCIRI and the Kurdish Alliance could alienate the other members of the main Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front. The Iraqi People's Conference and the National Dialogue Council, the other two main components of the front, have so far not been involved in the talks.
Finally, the new alliance could be seen by the more radical Sunni elements in the insurgency as a vehicle for pushing through Shi'ite and Kurdish demands concerning federalism, a concept that many Sunnis fear will enable the breakup of Iraq.
Al-Maliki's Prospects Unclear
It is difficult to say whether a new political alliance bodes well for al-Maliki or not. The BBC reported on December 12 that al-Maliki's Al-Da'wah Party has not decided whether or not to join.
If major parties are moving to isolate al-Sadr, this could prove advantageous for al-Maliki, who would no longer have to acquiesce to the radical cleric's demands. Also, Iraqi officials involved in talks concerning the new alliance have denied they were seeking to oust al-Maliki, Reuters reported on December 12.
However, recent visits by SCIRI leader al-Hakim and Iraqi Vice President al-Hashimi to the White House have fueled speculation that al-Maliki may be on the way out. Al-Hashimi has been a vocal critic of the prime minister's handling of security in Iraq, particularly his unwillingness to disband the Shi'ite militias. It may be that al-Maliki's position has become so untenable that he will be ousted like his predecessor, Ibrahim al-Ja'fari.
I see a snot-nosed fat-boy who needed killing a couple years ago.
This ugly little ass pimple was ignored long enough to become an infected ass boil full of puss.
Pop the bastard -- NOW.
Semper Fi
"I see dead people."
Mean mugging
See?
This is hat happens when you appease people and give them what they want every time they pitch a fit.
They shoulda lodged a rocket up his butt in 2004 when they had a chance...
More than evil... Al Sadr is an ignorant brute that's harvesting the popularity of his dead father. This guy is an obstacle for peace and progress.
It is on the Radio Free Europe link above, but it does not indicate when or what occasion it was when the picture was taken.
Is this possible? Is there a faction within Iraq that DARES to stand up against the all-powerful al-Sadr, who represents the ideology of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad within Iraq, and the promised return of the 12th Imam, from wherever he had been thrown down the well.
More importantly, will this faction manage somehow to prevail against this mindless dogmatic certainty with sufficient compelling force to at least get them to shut up?
Negotiation is apparently not an option.
Isn't just killing him a lot easier?
Although politicians involved in the preliminary discussions denied that they were seeking to sideline al-Sadr's bloc, comments by Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih of the Kurdish Alliance on December 12 clearly suggest that the main cause of the current political crisis are militant politicians like al-Sadr.There are three possible outcomes, it seems to me: 1, al-Sadr's bluff has been called and he stops threatening the gov't; 2, that al-Sadr is prepared to go it alone and begin all-out war to take over the whole country; and 3, that al-Sadr will continue to threaten, but not leave the gov't until he has his way on everything. I don't think any other coalition could prevail within the constitutional boundaries, and I also don't think any other coalition could hang together because they're all opposed to one another as well.
Ayatolla Al Sistani is the key to slapping down Al Sadr.
Sistani is the majority Shia leader.
Sadr is punk minority shia leader.
Sadr has been given his chance to participate and has showed that he unwilling to work within the framework of the Gov.
Let Sistani represent the majority.
exactly what's needed over there ... nothing worse for guys like Al-Sadr to be ignored by their own
Al Sadr is a piece of crap - remove his existance from the planet.
SS
Those in the US who believe that Iraq is in total chaos are apparently unaware that we fought a massive civil war with hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Our support for the forces of democracy and stability will overcome the forces of chaos and tyranny in Iraq if we remember the price we paid to maintain our own nation.
Cowardice is not a choice. It is a crime.
The role of Muqtada al-Sadr
RAY SUAREZ: Ed, what can you tell us about political efforts inside Iraq to isolate or marginalize the anti-American cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr?
EDWARD WONG: Well, these talks have been going on for a while now, but they've been gaining momentum recently, partly because of President Bush's direct intervention. He invited a prominent Shiite leader, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, to the White House a little earlier. And just yesterday, he met with Tariq al-Hashimi, a prominent Sunni Arab leader.
And what the Americans are trying to do is to get the Iraqis to form a new political alliance, basically a realignment of the political blocs in the parliament, to basically give their unconditional support to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The prime minister right now relies on Muqtada al-Sadr, the cleric who leads one of these militias, for his political support. But the thinking is among the Americans that, if this moderate -- so-called moderate alliance can give the prime minister political support, then the tie with Muqtada al-Sadr will be broken, and the prime minister and the government, along with the Americans, can move against Muqtada al-Sadr, if they need to.
Now, I know that some people, like the White House, are calling this a moderate alliance. A lot of the groups in the talks right now are not moderate. They have their own very politicized agendas. But one thing they do have in common is that they all want to get rid of Muqtada al-Sadr.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec06/iraq_12-13.html
Let them declare Muctar an outlaw and let our boys clean up the mess. Then they can settle down and we can leave.
Works for me.
Long past Time to lodge a bullet in Al Sadr's cranium.
I really believe that the Iraq Sunni can be talked sense to (not the al Qaeda foreign fighters, but native Iraqis) because the Saudis and other Sunni countries control the bucks. Now even though Sistani is seen as a sensible man, and is respected by most of the Shia, I don't know if he has the backbone not so much to go against Mookie, but in reality, to go against Iran--the power behind Mookie.
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.