Posted on 04/27/2008 3:24:20 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
BBC News, Baghdad
More than 400 people have died in Sadr City in recent weeks
|
The radical Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has rejected preconditions set by the government for talks to end Iraqi army attacks on his militia force.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki ordered a national crackdown on militias just over a month ago, including on fighters linked to Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army.
Sporadic fighting between Shia militia and government troops has continued in Baghdad's Sadr City over the weekend.
In the latest clashes at least eight people have been killed.
This brings the total number of deaths in Sadr City in recent weeks to more than 400.
Iraqi and US forces are trying to root out Shia militiamen in what is Moqtada Sadr's Baghdad stronghold in the east of the capital, and to reduce the number of mortar attacks on the Green Zone area of Baghdad, where Iraqi government ministries are based.
Mr Maliki says his forces will not talk to any militia leader unless their fighters hand in their weapons, stop interfering in the government's affairs, hand over fighters wanted by the authorities and provide the names of all those involved in violence.
But a spokesman for Moqtada Sadr has rejected these conditions.
On Friday the cleric issued a statement saying all sides should lay down their weapons and Iraqis should not be fighting Iraqis.
But it seems the central government is now determined to curb the power of the militia groups, many of whom are involved in gangsterism and crime.
Sounds good to me...they need to get on it before Allegra arrives back in Baghdad.
ahhh the smell of roast Mahdi....
translation: it's just so darned inconvenient how the Iraqi army is wiping out my personal goonsquad...I keep trying to tell them that muslims shouldn't kill muslims but they don't listen...it's gotta be here in the koran somewhere...D*mn! Another one of those abrogated verses...
Yes, kill Sadr too. Our guys will just not do it since they must listen to diplomatic malarky which will eventually get them killed. No one in sight looks like they will take on this and the Iranian thug.
Mr Maliki says his forces will not talk to any militia leader unless their fighters hand in their weapons, stop interfering in the government's affairs, hand over fighters wanted by the authorities and provide the names of all those involved in violence. But a spokesman for Moqtada Sadr has rejected these conditions.That'll teach that legitimate government of Iraq!
Iraq Green Zone shelled amid sandstorm
AP | April 27, 2008 1 hour ago | KIM GAMEL
Posted on 04/27/2008 2:30:12 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007768/posts
IRAQ: Sadr And Iran Try PR On Gullible SurrenderMedia To Save Them
Strata Sphere | Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 7:56 am. | AJStrata
Posted on 04/27/2008 12:41:42 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007731/posts
End Game On With Sadr Should Bring Sadr’s End ( What will Iran do next?)
Strata Sphere | Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am. | AJStrata
Posted on 04/18/2008 2:19:54 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003686/posts
Qaeda commander killed in US air strike
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) | 4/26/2008 | Kuwait News Agency(KUNA)
Posted on 04/26/2008 9:11:30 AM PDT by mdittmar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007350/posts
-and-
Smacking Down the YouTube Terrorists
(A little help needed) [Update @ #457]
Linked in thread
Posted on 04/12/2008 6:08:32 PM PDT by StarCMC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2000726/posts
Terror suspect who won court battle is named as a ‘top al-Qaeda agent’
(Living openly in England..
Times Online (UK) | April 26, 2008t | Sean O’Neill, Security Editor
Posted on 04/26/2008 9:30:09 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007356/posts
Glad Bush is Still Around
Forbes | 5/05/08 | Paul Johnson
Posted on 04/27/2008 12:28:29 PM PDT by littlehouse36
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007722/posts
Equally, if not more important, is the way in which Mr. Bush—partly by accident but mainly by design—has switched the war’s theater of operations to the death-dealers’ territory.
Yes, please. :)
All that bombing that was going on the last three weeks I was there has me jumping at sounds like slamming doors now. Of course, I haven't been home two weeks yet.
I picked a good time for an extended break....and I picked it long before Mookie's thugs ratcheted things up again.
I understand how people at home feel now....I worry about my "family" back in Iraq when I hear about this stuff.
Jumping at loud noises, diving for cover when a car motor backfires; for the first 30 days after you are back in the “Land of the Big PX” (aka home stateside) that is normal.
I also found out people can't really fit under stadium seats. ;-)
As Willie & Joe of WWII used to say; “I can’t get any lower my buttons are in the way.”
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