"Occupiers out! Occupiers out! Muqtada al-Sadr! Muqtada al-Sadr! Muqtada al-Sadr! Long live IRAN!!"
Posted on 10/18/2008 12:29:18 PM PDT by austrian
Supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr have staged a mass demonstration in Baghdad in protest against plans to extend the US mandate in Iraq.
An estimated 50,000 protesters chanted slogans such as "Get out occupier!".
Iraqi and US negotiators drafted the deal after months of talks but it still needs approval from Iraq's government.
Under the agreement US troops would withdraw by 2011, and Iraq would have the right to prosecute Americans who commit crimes while off-duty.
The UN mandate for US-led coalition forces expires at the end of this year. About 144,000 of the 152,000 foreign troops deployed there are US military personnel.
Political battle
Chanting slogans and waving banners, tens of thousands of Shias, mainly young men, marched on the eastern suburb of Sadr City towards the centre of Baghdad. The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says Moqtada Sadr's militant opposition to the US presence has strong grassroots support among many Shias - and this was a physical manifestation of that opposition.
He says leaders of the 30-strong Sadr bloc in the Iraqi parliament will have expressed that rejection at a meeting of Iraq's Political Council for National Security late on Friday.
The meeting of top political leaders and the heads of parliamentary factions was convened to discuss the draft agreement covering the US military presence after its mandate expires.
No decisions were taken but the Council is to meet again to hear back from military experts on what is a very complex and detailed document.
Our correspondent says its passage through parliament may follow naturally if it is approved by the Council, but this is by no means assured and a tough political battle is already shaping up.
In Washington, US defence chief Robert Gates has been courting support for the deal from key members of Congress...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
“if the troops stay they will be seen more and more as occupiers”
NOT SO.
They, the U.S. troops will always be less than desirable to those, like the radical Shia militia leader Sadr, who want to use violence to pressure others to bend to their way.
Your statement serves only such people, because it telescopes their excuses about the American troops into a national sentiment - which it isn’t.
Even in Sadr City, the U.S. troops are in joint patrols with the Iraqi forces.
Sadr will always have complaints and will always use the U.S. forces as his excuse. It’s in his political DNA with his ties to Iran.
So, my question is, why do YOU parrot his excuse????
Opps. I thought this thread was about the rally in St. Louis today.
I was going to ask if someone could post the picture of the StL rally on this thread...
He knows for certain that he will get the help if 0bama is elected.
Are you still in country?
Give us the low down.
“..Hillary will sign on as a `Victoria’s Secret’ model.”
Underwear or bathing suits?
“Iraq became a no-win situation when we decided to nation-build...”
It is my understanding that after running off the bad guys we helped them build schools, hospitals, infrastruture and arranged for them to hold free elections.
Presently, we are helping them maintain a relatively stable countryside. Relative, for instance, to Los Angeles County and its gangs.
We have a large number of unannounced accomplishments, including the opening of ur military facilities to treat the disproportionate rate of diseases and congenital defects suffered by their children due to Saddam’s toxic environment.
Perhaps you can give us a few examples of the disadvantages of using our military to nation build.
Yes.
Give us the low down.
Say "please." :)
A lot of the Mehdi Army is made up of Iranians. Not Iraqis who were trained in Iran (although there are some of those, too), but America-hating, mullah-worshiping trash from Iran.
Iran hates this democracy. They hate that Iraq is free. They know there's not much they can do about it other than stir up people in the streets about this security agreement and even that's being largely ignored.
I doubt they'll even start launching their stupid mortars and rockets at us again like they did this past spring, since they had their asses royally kicked for that.
So, they're just making some whiney noise with these stupid demonstrations they have here on Fridays. They've been doing this; for some reason the media is just now cluing into it.
You've got it right.
"Occupiers out! Occupiers out! Muqtada al-Sadr! Muqtada al-Sadr! Muqtada al-Sadr! Long live IRAN!!"
I really don’t think Obama is that stupid. He’ll wait until after the election (IF he is elected) to give that speach.
Err...that was humor.
Thank you!
You are a jewel!
Now that's sad.
L
I know. I wish my post was.
Has Obama/ACORN been talking to Sadr?
“Perhaps you can give us a few examples of the disadvantages of using our military to nation build.”
I do not mean any disrespect to you, but if you truly must ask this question, you truly do not understand the nature of warfare, or the soldiers that engage in it.
I will give you this opinion: Iraqi’s are not worth the money or lives that we have spent on them in futile pursuit of an impossible pipe dream of an Arab democracy.
Your first statement is extremely reckless in light of the fact you know nothing of my background.
Further, that was not a question, it was an invitation intended to help you support your “no-win” assertion; an invitation you apparently wish to avoid.
Your second statement appears to be an attempt to change the issue. It reminds me of the liberals who are squealing that Joe the Plumber is unlicensed.
In total, your response indicates to me there is nothing to be gained by continuing this discussion.
“Your first statement is extremely reckless in light of the fact you know nothing of my background.”
Ok Rambo, why don’t you tell me your background? If you think our military is for nation-building, then you are completely misguided. If you think that, you may also be our commander-in-chief, but that’s another discussion.
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