Mahdi Army makes a final push to control southwest Baghdad

McClatchy Newspapers ^ | June 9 2007 | Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy

[ASC2006]

In the past 10 days, the fiery Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia has resurfaced in force, making a push to roust Sunnis from Baghdad and to isolate Sunni enclaves in the west of the capital from their brethren in the south.

Mahdi Army militiamen in the Shiite dominated neighborhood of Bayaa were reinforced by other Shiite fighters and men in civilian clothes with weapons have cordoned off the area. In the past 10 days Mahdi Army activity has escalated, intensifying in the past two days with the capture of two Sunni mosques, residents and police said.

The push appears to be part of a strategy by the Mahdi Army to control swaths of the once Sunni-dominated west bank of the Tigris River.

Two Sunni men reached by phone had fled Bayaa in the last five days because of the rising violence. Neither of the men would give their names or new places of residence for fear of retribution.

Five days ago one of the Sunni men was warned by his Shiite neighbors and friends. "The Mahdi Army is asking about you, they are watching you," he was told. So he packed up his things, his family and left.

Last week his cousin was dragged from his car at a Mahdi Army checkpoint and shot.

"The army is fighting along side the Mahdi Army," he said. "We cannot trust a security plan that doesn't protect the people. . . . They come to you as a state of government with power. . . . If you defend yourself, the interior commandoes will arrest you as a terrorist the next day."

Two Shiite men in Bayaa also described an escalation of violence but were happy to see the Mahdi Army return to protect them, they said.

[jveritas]

ASC2006 is one of the best freepers who keeps constantly updating us on the news coming from Iraq in particular the great news about the Sunnis joining the US to annihilate Al Qaeda, which means the US Victory in this war. Please do not accuse him that he is a retread.

Also jmc1969 was a great freeper and I am sad that he was banned.

[elhombrelibre]

It could be that Iran has ordered the Mahdi army to step up its activities to take the pressure off of al Qaeda. They’re playing both sides for their own interests in Iraq just as they’re aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan even though they were once enemies. The Mahdi army laid low for some time, and my thinking is that was their way of living to fight another day. Regardless, they’ll be destroyed too, and I’m not so sure the Shia will tolerate them for long either. Like the Sunnis who’ve turned on al Qaeda, the Shia must be getting sick of this type of nihilistic fighting that the Mahdi army represents with its hidden agenda of helping Iran.

[jveritas]

Very possible FRiend, and I think we have the final solution for the Mahdi terrorist milia. I am sure that the US commanders in Iraq are very aware of what Iran and the Mahid terrorist militia have been planning and ready to strike back very hard if they are going to stop the excellent progress in the Surge..

[jedward]

Smoke ‘em out and pick ‘em off! Yowdy jv!

[jveritas]

Hi jed.

[vbmoneyspender]

jmc1969 was a tool who was more than willing to run down the war just because the Sunnis he favored weren’t being treated the way he wanted them to.

[jveritas]

Did you ask the mods to ban ASC2006?!

[REDWOOD99]

Guess you were right!

[jveritas]

I disagreed with jmc1969 on this approach but I think he was not running down the war.

Also, please understand that we are on the brink of a total victory in Iraq because very recently the Sunnis have started their rebellion against Al Qaeda terrorists which means that Al Qaeda lost its main line of defense which "was" the protection and support by the Sunnis, and this means that Al Qaeda has no protection now and our troops are quickly annihilating them.

[jedward]

Howdy! Having good tonight, and you?

[jveritas]

I am very disappointed that freeper ASC2006 was just banned, he was a very good freeper.

[jedward]

Yeah, what did I miss!

[jedward]

On what grounds? Which post?

[jveritas]

I think some body just reported “ASC2006” to the mods as a retread “jmc1969” and hence he was banned.

[vbmoneyspender]

Did you ask the mods to ban ASC2006?!

Absolutely not. I've never asked them to ban anyone. With due respect to the people who run this site, I strongly disagree with that approach. I would rather debate someone like this than ban them, particularly since they have a viewpoint which (however wrong I think it is) echoes the viewpoint of many others on this site.

[jedward]

I gotta watch who I hang out with. That’s like 2 nights in a row, someone on a thread I was on gets banned/suspended (lol)

[jveritas]

Thank you, and I am glad that you did not do it.

[pissant]

WHy was jmc1969 banned?

[vbmoneyspender]

I don’t know.

[pissant]

Do you know why?