Sadr militia battle troops in four Iraqi cities (civil disobedience campaign escalating?)

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 3/25/08 | Ammar Karim

[NormsRevenge]

Supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr rally in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. Sadr's militiamen Tuesday battled troops in three Iraqi cities on Tuesday, including the capital, as the hardline Shiite cleric threatened a countrywide campaign of civil revolt. (AFP/Qassem Zein)

[Brilliant]

He obviously doesn’t understand civil disobedience. Send him a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s book.

[NormsRevenge]

Smoke rises from the area where fierce gunbattles erupted between Al-Mahdi Army and Iraqi security forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Moqtada al-Sadr's militiamen Tuesday battled troops in three Iraqi cities on Tuesday, including the capital, as the hardline Shiite cleric threatened a countrywide campaign of civil revolt. (AFP/Essam al-Sudani)

[colorado tanker]

This reinforces my opinion the British pulled out prematurely. It’s a cautionary tale that should inform our leftwingnuts what would happen in Baghdad if we did the same.

[LetsRok]

Why is this person still breathing????

[tobyhill]

***”We call on all Iraqis to launch protests across all the provinces”***

Good luck getting the Sunnis to follow along with the protest the way Sadr has treated them.

[DoughtyOne]

I’m surprised some Iraqi hasn’t put and end to Sadr.

[LottieDah]

Set the coordinates to hit the black and white turbans , press the button and watch al Sadr stfu.

[okie01]

The fighting, which severely strains a ceasefire declared by Sadr in late August...

Where's that Captain Obvious image when you need it?

[tobyhill]

***British military officials said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was in Basra to personally oversee the major security force sweep in Iraq's second largest city, but that British troops were not taking part.***

Way to go fearless British Military Leaders! Maybe a good ole fashion surrender is in order?

[Soliton]

It is a little nuanced, but we should kill them all quickly.

[Wiseghy]

Many pundits assumed that Iraq’s new government was afraid of Iran and Sadr.

The Iraqis are in the lead on this one. They are cleaning out the rat nests where they find them. Clearly, they’ve got confidence and skill now. It just took time to build.

If we can continue to support them, they will eventually be one the most powerful nations in the ME. No wonder Iran is in a panic, and is pushing the envelope on weapons and training.

[soupcon]

I’m surprised some Iraqi hasn’t put and end to Sadr.
_____________________________________
I’m not. He’s in Iran.

[tobyhill]

Just a couple months ago all the media was reporting is that Sadr had lost all his credibility and power but today they are all reporting that he's going to unleash hell on US and Iraqi troops.

I think Maliki has just figured out that Sadr is nothing but a lying thug whose only power derives from the media. Sadr's an Iranian paper tiger.

[DoughtyOne]

He has been for the last few months, but he has been causing civilian deaths in Iraq for years. I’m surprised some family hasn’t carry out a revenge killing on him by now.

[agere_contra]

Of course, the British should have spoon-fed the Iraq Govt forces and held their hand for another few decades.

But then the Iraq Govt forces wouldn’t be out there today kicking butt. And true peace in a self-determined Iraq would be further off.

[agere_contra]

The Iraqis are in the lead on this one. They are cleaning out the rat nests where they find them. Clearly, they’ve got confidence and skill now. It just took time to build.

Well said.

[pt17]

Why is this person still breathing????

As you probably well recall, we had him and his band of thugs all bottled up when Jorge decided to go PC with the war. BTW, it was at that moment that it became clear that Bush was in over his head and that things were going to take a very long time and lots of money to straighten out.

[SaxxonWoods]

“As you probably well recall, we had him and his band of thugs all bottled up when Jorge decided to go PC with the war. BTW, it was at that moment that it became clear that Bush was in over his head and that things were going to take a very long time and lots of money to straighten out.”

We were negotiating with Sistani at this time also. Al Sadr is his protege. I have long thought Sistani agreed to help us in return for kid-glove handling of al Sadr.