A US Withdrawal Deal with Sadr?

time ^ | Aug. 08, 2008 | MARK KUKIS

[flyfree]

Shi'ite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr stepped back into Iraq's political fray Friday with an offer that (if genuine) Washington would be hard-pressed to refuse: Set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the Mahdi Army will begin to disband. "The main reason for the armed resistance is the American military presence," said Sadr emissary Salah al-Ubaidi, who spoke to reporters in Najaf Friday. "If the American military begins to withdrawal, there will be no need for these armed groups."

Sadr in the past has vowed to expand the humanitarian work of his movement but promised to maintain fighters from his Mahdi Army militia, which has fought against both the Iraqi government and U.S. forces. Al-Ubaidi's remarks effectively offered the strongest assurances yet that the Mahdi Army is willing to stand down entirely in Iraq, if American military forces back away.

[flyfree]

ping

[stboz]

He lies like a rug.

[rottndog]

I don’t thing the ganja weed he was smoking is halal...

[SandRat]

Mooki is running scared and the BlameStreamMedia is trying to give him cover.

[goldstategop]

Mookie is rushing to claim credit for something that's already happening and to turn defeat into victory.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[mdittmar]

“I am the great and powerful oz”;)

[GWMcClintock]

My feelings exactly—and who could TRUST him even if this were true? (which it isn’t)

[SevenMinusOne]

Thug-Sadr value has constantly been over-hyped by many (especially the MSM)......The reality is Sadr is offering nothing in reality.....he has no options......His JAM forces have had their as$es handed to them to the point they refuse to fight in most cases any longer....

Still....on the whole this is further good news and just another (of literally dozens and dozens) of signs of our victory in Iraq...

A victory that has been continually in process since 03....if we were willing to stay the course and keep taking the fight to our enemies (enemies of the new Iraq)...

[GWMcClintock]

“I am the great and powerful oz”;)

...and I want to be Barack’s choice as Veep! lol

[FreeReign]

Mooki is running scared and the BlameStreamMedia is trying to give him cover.

Precisely right.

[niteowl77]

“I am the great and powerful oz”
...and I want to be Barack’s choice as Veep!

Their sense of self-importance would be evenly matched.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Shi'ite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr stepped back into Iraq's political fray Friday with an offer that (if genuine) Washington would be hard-pressed to refuse: Set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the Mahdi Army will begin to disband.

Right. Washington would be "hard-pressed to refuse" a chance to surrender to a man who has been defeated. This idiotic sentence says a great deal more about the mentality at TIME magazine than it does about Washington, Muqtada al-Sadr, or Iraq.

But then, the American MSM has been in the tank for al-Sadr almost as fervently as they have for Obama. They've declared Muqtada the winner of every battle he's lost, and greeted each of his frequent, parrot-like calls for American withdrawal with the sort of acclaim baboons reserve for the zoo-keeper at feeding time.

[marron]

All he has to do is slow-walk this thing until November, and depending on what happens he may have won this whole thing.

[Lion Den Dan]

If any one falls for this, I have a ‘58 Rambler for only $15,000.00. Better get before its gone.

[Loyal Buckeye]

D- in the creative writing categorey.

[Parley Baer]

When we do decide to leave we better make Mookie a target of one of our Predator missiles.

[jonrick46]

This ruse of peace is the same trick they have played with the Israelis for decades. It never works out and it only allows them to consolidate their strength.

[dr_who]

That wouldn’t be a deal Sadr. That would be cowardice and capitulation.

[ken21]

i don’t understand why he’s still alive.

his father was taken out.