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 ...
OK, now how does Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy know it is a “final push”?
Are you jmc1969 by another name?
They don’t. It’s another negative Iraq story from McLatchy and their junk bond newspaper.
NEVER take anything published by McClatchy Newspapers at face value. NEVER..
I don’t trust what any of McClatchy’s “anonymous” sources say.
But, it is important that the article be posted regardless.
I think the time to send Mouqi to his 72 virgins is long over due.
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.
eliminated.
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.
MsClatchey newspaper, Iraqi reporters, nuff said.
What happened to ole’ jmc1969?
Agreed. Take this SOB out with extreme prejudice!
I guess he got banned. But now I think he’s been resurrected under another handle.
Ping.
I have been meaning to thank you for the pings!
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?
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.
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