Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Iraqi forces, Shiite militants fight in Sadr City
CNN ^ | Mon May 19, 2008 6:47 a.m. EDT, | CNN Baghdad

Posted on 05/19/2008 9:52:46 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Shiite militants and U.S.-backed Iraqi forces -- two sides that agreed to a cease-fire last week -- fought overnight in Sadr City, killing four people and wounding 38, Interior Ministry and hospital officials said Sunday.

art.sadr.mon.11.ap.jpg

An Iraqi soldier checks a car for explosives at a checkpoint in Sadr City on Saturday.

A spokesman for radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said the fighting does not mean an end to the newly negotiated peace agreement.

Neither side agreed on what caused the fighting in the stronghold of al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.

Major Gen. Qassim Atta, a Baghdad security plan spokesman, said "outlaw groups" using various weapons attacked Iraqi army checkpoints in the heart of Sadr City, a densely populated Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad. Iraqi forces returned fire, he said.

Al-Sadr spokesman Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi dismissed Atta's account, claiming that Iraqi security forces provoked people in an outdoor market by cursing at them. Iraqi forces were the only shooters, al-Obeidi said.

The incident killed seven Iraqis, including three children, al-Obeidi said.

Atta did not provide casualty figures.

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


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; iraq; sadr; sadrcity

1 posted on 05/19/2008 9:52:47 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge; elhombrelibre; Allegra; SandRat; tobyhill; G8 Diplomat; Dog; Cap Huff; ...

Funny way to have a cease Fire....


2 posted on 05/19/2008 9:54:05 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
H/T to the Long War Journal and the Sidebar there for pointing to this report.....

LWJ Blog:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/

3 posted on 05/19/2008 9:55:57 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Funny way to have a cease Fire....

Not over there. Situation normal.
4 posted on 05/19/2008 9:57:56 AM PDT by ZX12R
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Funny way to have a cease Fire....

I think it is working exactly the al-Sadr is planning it. Get the good guys to stop shooting so he can move his pieces to new positions. It's all a game for him. Just like any game, if you show your opponent too much mercy, you will lose, and we are showing too much mercy. That fool should have been set to his virgins 3 years ago.

5 posted on 05/19/2008 10:00:34 AM PDT by webheart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: webheart
I don't think Sadr is running the show...see this:

Sadrist leader cannot confirm or deny Al Sadr held in Qom

6 posted on 05/19/2008 10:11:31 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ZX12R; moneyrunner; Diogenesis
NY Times will be Happy...Related thread:

The NY Times Still Doesn't Know Who Won In Sadr City

7 posted on 05/19/2008 10:17:30 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Deals must be going down. If anything, one might assume elements of the Mahdi army would be causing a lot of distractions within Sadr City and the surrounding areas outside the capital, to offset the ability of the Iraqi military to move more units north to support the Mosul operations.
Then again. Sufficient troop strengths (ability to carry out independent operations on a large scale) may be a reality at this point, realizing US air and ground is just a phone call away.
What will be interesting to read will be when the Mahdi militia starts to single out Iranian agents, or grab them and hand them over to the police/military.
8 posted on 05/19/2008 11:51:35 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Nation Building can’t succeed, until you first have Nation Destruction...

Clearly - we haven’t killed enough of these militant Islamists or properly impressed them with our ability to destroy any Jihad.......while delivering GREAT pain and suffering to Jihad supporting “civilians”.

To date — there have been insufficient negative consequences to deter continued Jihad...
Jihad must be meet by a sufficiently punishing response from those the Jihad is directed against.....


9 posted on 05/19/2008 12:47:32 PM PDT by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: river rat; Marine_Uncle
Just posted this note from the Counterrorism Blog:

Is Hezbollah the Premier Threat?

10 posted on 05/19/2008 1:56:27 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Would it be oversimplification, to say:

Hezbollah = Iran
al Qaeda = Saudi Arabia

Neither of these two centers of militant Islam and sponsors of exported terrorism — can be considered long term friends of the WEST, without a MAJOR change in leadership and modification of militant Islam’s stated goals...

Both are leaches on the body of civilization — sucking sustenance and weakening the “host countries” until weakened enough to cause collapse...

Given the ungodly wealth of the oil rich Islamic republics......no Muslim should be entitled to welfare payments from host countries, while they still maintain allegiance to a religion that calls for our destruction....

F’em......


11 posted on 05/19/2008 2:16:38 PM PDT by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: river rat

Hezbollah = Iran

That is a definite yes...

However this

al Qaeda = Saudi Arabia

Is much more problematic as al Queda is wanting to over throw the Saudi Royal Family....


12 posted on 05/19/2008 3:27:14 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Saudi Royal family rules Saudi Arabia — they are not Saudi Arabia.....
al Qaeda strikes me as the armed wing of the Wahabbi sect of Islam — the Sunni brand of Islam that was given birth in Saudi Arabia and whose militant clerics are STILL financed throughout the world by the Saudis..

The link between al Qaeda and “Saudi Arabia” is clear, direct and undeniable...
I haven't forgotten that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 terrorists were Saudi Arabians......and all were al Qaeda.

The stinking corpse of al Qaeda is firmly hung around the necks of Saudi Arabia — INCLUDING members of the Saudi “Royal” Family....

I would spill no tears if they were all murdered in their beds......by al Qaeda or their abused maid from the Philippines..

13 posted on 05/19/2008 3:52:57 PM PDT by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: river rat
"F’em......"
I'm with you Marine.
14 posted on 05/19/2008 4:27:50 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

As far as I am concerned every element of this Satanic Cult are as dangerous as any other given the tools and latitude to do damage to western civilization. It’s almost like some debate on who was worse between the Germans and Japanese some sixty five years ago.


15 posted on 05/19/2008 4:46:11 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson