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Mahdi Army makes a final push to control southwest Baghdad
McClatchy Newspapers ^ | June 9 2007 | Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy

Posted on 06/09/2007 8:47:10 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at realcities.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alsadr; iraq; madhiarmy; mahdiarmy; mookie
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1 posted on 06/09/2007 8:47:12 PM PDT by ASC2006
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To: ASC2006

OK, now how does Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy know it is a “final push”?


2 posted on 06/09/2007 8:54:54 PM PDT by bnelson44 (http://www.appealforcourage.org)
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To: ASC2006

Are you jmc1969 by another name?


3 posted on 06/09/2007 8:56:35 PM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: ASC2006
"Last week his cousin was dragged from his car at a Mahdi Army checkpoint and shot."

The Iraqi army is doing this together with Al Sadr's butchers????
4 posted on 06/09/2007 8:57:01 PM PDT by Fred (Democrat Party - "The Nadir of Nihilism")
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To: bnelson44

They don’t. It’s another negative Iraq story from McLatchy and their junk bond newspaper.


5 posted on 06/09/2007 8:57:33 PM PDT by LdSentinal
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To: Fred

NEVER take anything published by McClatchy Newspapers at face value. NEVER..


6 posted on 06/09/2007 8:59:19 PM PDT by bnelson44 (http://www.appealforcourage.org)
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To: bnelson44

I don’t trust what any of McClatchy’s “anonymous” sources say.

But, it is important that the article be posted regardless.


7 posted on 06/09/2007 9:01:25 PM PDT by ASC2006
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To: ASC2006

I think the time to send Mouqi to his 72 virgins is long over due.


8 posted on 06/09/2007 9:01:39 PM PDT by Perdogg (congratulations - you have just won an ipod nano)
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To: Perdogg

That is true regardless of if such a push is going on.

Ususally articles like this are either the reporter blowing up small scale events going on in a mixed part of Baghdad or outright lies. But, it is still important that the Madhi Army is elimited.


9 posted on 06/09/2007 9:04:31 PM PDT by ASC2006
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To: ASC2006

eliminated.


10 posted on 06/09/2007 9:04:49 PM PDT by ASC2006
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To: bnelson44

One of the few things that could really derail the Baghdad security plan (and helped greatly to derail last years Baghdad security plan) was a strong Madhi Army attack during the summer on the Sunnis, which would get them to stop fighting al-Qaeda.

Iran would love to see just such an attack happen and just might order up such an attack. The US military is I am sure watching out like hawks for this.


11 posted on 06/09/2007 9:11:14 PM PDT by ASC2006
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To: ASC2006

MsClatchey newspaper, Iraqi reporters, nuff said.


12 posted on 06/09/2007 9:12:04 PM PDT by Tarpon
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To: vbmoneyspender

What happened to ole’ jmc1969?


13 posted on 06/09/2007 9:16:49 PM PDT by mdittmar (May God watch over those who serve,and have served, to keep us free.)
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To: Perdogg

Agreed. Take this SOB out with extreme prejudice!


14 posted on 06/09/2007 9:17:05 PM PDT by Wally_Kalbacken (Seldom right but never in doubt)
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To: mdittmar

I guess he got banned. But now I think he’s been resurrected under another handle.


15 posted on 06/09/2007 9:18:28 PM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: SJackson; jveritas; FARS; Ernest_at_the_Beach; knighthawk; Marine_Uncle; SandRat; Steel Wolf; ...

Ping.


16 posted on 06/09/2007 9:18:52 PM PDT by elhombrelibre (Al Qaeda knows Iraq's strategic value, yet the Democrats work day and night for our defeat there.)
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To: elhombrelibre

I have been meaning to thank you for the pings!


17 posted on 06/09/2007 9:20:41 PM PDT by bnelson44 (http://www.appealforcourage.org)
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To: bnelson44
You bet. The good thing about them is you can go away and catch up when you come back.
18 posted on 06/09/2007 9:22:03 PM PDT by elhombrelibre (Al Qaeda knows Iraq's strategic value, yet the Democrats work day and night for our defeat there.)
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To: ASC2006
On Friday, the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida dominated insurgent group, issued a statement on the internet calling on the Sunnis to fight against Shiite militia.

What a conundrum: to pull for the Mahdi terrorists or the "al-Qaida dominated insurgent group" opposing them.

Is there a "None of the above" box available for checking?

19 posted on 06/09/2007 9:23:16 PM PDT by AmericanExceptionalist (Democrats believe in discussing the full spectrum of ideas, all the way from far left to center-left)
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To: elhombrelibre
I do not think that the Mahdi terrorists army is as visible as this article makes it to be. Since the Surge began they went into hiding and now this article is saying they are on the offensive against the Sunnis in Baghdad and with the help of the Iraqi Army. We shall see anyway, we will know in few days how true this article is.

As we have been discussing the most important thing going in Iraq now is the Sunni rebellion against Al Qaeda terrorists which means the end of Al Qaeda within six month and hence a total victory for the US in this war.

20 posted on 06/09/2007 9:25:18 PM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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