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Iraqi Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Suspends Mahdi Army Activities
Foxnews ^ | August 29 2007 | Foxnews

Posted on 08/29/2007 7:04:54 AM PDT by jveritas

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

BAGHDAD — Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered a six-month suspension of activities by his Mahdi Army militia in order to reorganize the force, and it will no longer attack U.S. and coalition troops, aides said Wednesday.

The aide, Sheik Hazim al-Araji, said on Iraqi state television that the goal was to "rehabilitate" the organization, which has reportedly broken into factions, some of which the U.S. maintains are trained and supplied by Iran.

"We declare the freezing of the Mahdi Army without exception in order to rehabilitate it in a way that will safeguard its ideological image within a maximum period of six months starting from the day this statement is issued," al-Araji said, reading from a statement by al-Sadr.

In Najaf, al-Sadr's spokesman said the order also means the Mahdi Army will no longer launch attacks against U.S. and other coalition forces.

"It also includes suspending the taking up of arms against occupiers as well as others," Ahmed al-Shaibani told reporters.

Asked if Mahdi militiamen would defend themselves against provocations, he replied: "We will deal with it when it happens."....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294990,00.html

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


TOPICS: Breaking News
KEYWORDS: alsadr; bush; hudna; iran; iraq; mahdiarmy; mookie; sadr; wot
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To: Fresh Wind
"a. Suspend the insurgency. b. Wait for the Americans to declare victory, pack up, and leave. c. Resume insurgency."

Yes...we all know AQ or the Iranians could do that.

But...here comes the but, it will give the Iraq Government and their Army six months more time to solidify. I for one count that as a plus.

Besides...we all know how these guys work, they say they are winning until they are completely decimated. Right now I see no declaration of victories from any extremists. In fact, the extremists have already lost the major overall war in the ME because the moderates did not rise up with them in magnificent numbers.... in six years of an overt global terrorism campaign!

61 posted on 08/29/2007 8:58:06 AM PDT by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something. (Fred/Newt '08))
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To: jveritas

The Surge is Working and the Terrorists are in the Trap
Looks like the only terrorists left are in congress.

Pray for W adn Our Troops


62 posted on 08/29/2007 8:58:27 AM PDT by bray (Member of the FR President Bush underground fighting FR BDS)
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To: jveritas

63 posted on 08/29/2007 8:59:25 AM PDT by FreedomNeocon (Success is not final; Failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts -- Churchill)
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To: jveritas
Huge successes continue throughout the WOT / Iraq - Thug boy Sadr is saying "no mas" here plain and simple -

Watch as the MSM try all they can to not spin this as a success...or to try and not act like this is further tremendous progress for our side....

64 posted on 08/29/2007 9:01:36 AM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: jveritas

The Media isn’t even going to acknowledge this, and if they do, it will ONLY be in passing....

There are FAR more important things to cover. Have you heard about the Gay Republican Senator?


65 posted on 08/29/2007 9:07:03 AM PDT by tcrlaf (You can lead a Liberal to LOGIC, but you can't make it THINK)
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To: jveritas

Just more proof that the surge is working and imho better than anyone expected.


66 posted on 08/29/2007 9:07:43 AM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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To: Joe Boucher

As we discussed on the other thread....

CARTMAN to SADR: “I’m just saying you’re just a little wuss, that’s all.”


67 posted on 08/29/2007 9:08:35 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
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To: FreedomNeocon
His sad puss is a thing of beauty today. I could almost kiss him I'm so happy.

Of course I would regret it in the morning.

68 posted on 08/29/2007 9:13:29 AM PDT by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something. (Fred/Newt '08))
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To: jveritas

Unfortunately Mookie doesn’t really control them anymore.


69 posted on 08/29/2007 9:16:31 AM PDT by DemEater
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To: ExSoldier

from the article on the other thread:

“The diplomat said the seven Iranians included an embassy staffer and six members of a delegation from Iran’s Electricity Ministry.”

“Iran’s Electricity Ministry.”.......6 of ‘em! Now THERE’s an interesting wild card.

This would be the agency in Iran that pursues the “peaceful” nuclear program for generating electricity.

So I suppose that they were in Iraq to prepare to repair and upgrade the pathetic condition of the Iraqi electrical grid. Right.

Hopefully the release of them to ‘iraqi authorities’ is the equivalent of rendering......but then, there are iraqi authorities and there are ‘iraqi authorities’.


70 posted on 08/29/2007 9:17:31 AM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: Vn_survivor_67-68

71 posted on 08/29/2007 9:23:08 AM PDT by drzz
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To: jveritas
This is not neccessarily good news. It takes the heat of Sadr.
We do not get to see/hear the conversations that take place between Maliki/is people and Sadr and his cronies.
As long as the Mahdi army and the other larger militias are operational entities, the stage will always be for fighting to break out.
Maliki vowed last year that the militias would be disbanded. He has not meet this goal. At any rate. I have to get ready for work shortly. Do have a great day.
72 posted on 08/29/2007 9:24:20 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Hunter in 2008)
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To: Earthdweller

Would seem to be the Sadr army may have had it’s payroll cut. Iran won’t fund them if they’re not killing Americans, and they’re not just going to sit around waiting in reserve mode.

My real concern is that this is a rethinking of strategy. As a standalone entity they’ve become too visible and easy to hit. “Disband” for 6 months and join up with the Iraqi army, receive training, support and insight into the US-Iraqi plans, then strike from within.

I see this as jumping from a suicidal strategy of near frontal assault, with diminishing public support, into one that places them back into alignment with the Iraqi street. Staying irregular is no longer serving them well as Iraqi nationalism grows and fatique over civilian casualties at the hands of non-US attackers grows as well — only by transforming themselves into an army of regulars can they continue with their mission of “expelling the occupiers” while operating under the auspices of working for the “greater good” in Iraq. This right after Iran announcers that they are about to step into the “power vacuum” to propel Iraq forward from within. Just days ago the plan was announced and here it is.


73 posted on 08/29/2007 9:24:42 AM PDT by sbMKE
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To: Fresh Wind
It makes some sense for the disaffected Baathists and other internal violent elements to wait until America only has a skeletal force stationed in the permanent bases currently being constructed. But by ceasing their aggression, they risk losing external support (arms, money), as well as risking a loss of will in their movement, especially if life in Iraq improves (try spurring a group of gainfully employed, well-fed men back to the "revolution"). So it cuts both ways.

Foreign terrorist elements (Saudis, Pakistanis, Iranians, Syrians, etc), on the other hand, are invested in making sure that "America learns its lesson", and seek primarily to prevent the public relations "disaster" (from their perspective) of American victory (which, IMO, America can already claim - too bad our media is so invested in declaring defeat for political reasons...but I digress); their other major aim is to kill as many Americans (troops and civilians) as possible.

I just hope that the bar for victory is not defined as Iraq being a stable secular capitalist democracy, leading a region-wide political transformation.

74 posted on 08/29/2007 9:25:00 AM PDT by M203M4 (Vote conservatism in 2008, have some standards - a Marxist is a Marxist)
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To: drzz

Yep..this is not as good as admitting defeat..but it will do!


75 posted on 08/29/2007 9:25:11 AM PDT by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something. (Fred/Newt '08))
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To: drzz

first time I ever saw a mushroom cloud coming from a (french?) champagne bottle, LOL


76 posted on 08/29/2007 9:25:42 AM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: Rennes Templar
Yes, I agree. There should be no respite. Sadr and the Mahdi army should be ground to dust, his head placed on the top of a pike.
77 posted on 08/29/2007 9:31:21 AM PDT by curiosity
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To: sbMKE
Oh..I am sure Iran has it’s “plans”....in the mean time, say see ya later to the remnants of the home grown criminals.
78 posted on 08/29/2007 9:32:05 AM PDT by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something. (Fred/Newt '08))
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To: jveritas

The surge is working, attacks are declining, tips from the iraqis are increasing at a fantastic rate, they have had enough and more and more our guys are capturing and killing the islamo facist terrorists.

Give it a few more months and its time to put the president to touch down on another aircraft carrier!

The rats are hating every minute of it.


79 posted on 08/29/2007 9:46:29 AM PDT by UKrepublican
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To: elizabetty

I’ll second that!


80 posted on 08/29/2007 9:49:44 AM PDT by top 2 toe red (~*~ All we have to do is save the Cheerleader?!?!? ~*~)
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