Iraq Council discusses deal to end Shi'ite violence (by Not Prosecuting Al-Sadr!)

reuters ^ | 4/7/04 | Reuters

[Mark Felton]

BAGHDAD, April 7 (Reuters) - Iraq's U.S.-installed Governing Council has discussed a proposal not to prosecute the rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr for murder if he agrees to halt a Shi'ite uprising, council members said on Wednesday.

They told Reuters after meeting to discuss the violence sweeping Iraq that using more force against the young cleric and his followers could lead to more civilian casualties and bolster support for him.

"Iraq could refrain from pursuing the arrest warrant in return for Moqtada renouncing violence," said one Shi'ite council member, who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The situation would be akin to Lebanon's Subhi al-Tufaili, who is contained," he said, referring to the ex-Lebanese Hizbollah Shi'ite guerrilla group leader.

Tufaili is wanted for allegedly killing Lebanese soldiers and trying to assassinate a former Lebanese president years ago, but he roams the Bekaa Valley freely while staying away from vocal politics.

An arrest warrant is out for Sadr in connection with the killing of another cleric who returned from exile a year ago.

The murder of Sayyed Abdel Majid al-Khoei, the son of the late Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qassem al-Khoei, sparked fears of violent divisions among Iraq's Shi'ite leadership.

Sadr has denied involvement in Khoei's murder. The arrest warrant was issued months ago but was only announced after his followers clashed with U.S. forces last week. The U.S. military says he will be arrested.

UPRISING

The cleric's followers have fought with occupation forces in the southern cities of Nassiriya, Amara, Kut, Kerbala and Najaf, vowing to carry on a revolt that has killed over 130 people since Sunday.

The Governing Council issued a statement denouncing the violence, but was considering taking a proactive stance to end the crisis, council sources said.

"The members will not sign on the plan and no delegation will go see Moqtada unless we are sure he can be contained," said an official with close links to the 25-member council.

"Using more force against him will not work and the Americans know this. Many more will die and even more radical elements could emerge if he is killed," he said.

Council members said previous attempts to integrate Sadr into the U.S.-led political process had failed.

They said a Governing Council delegation secretly met Sadr last year after his supporters fought in Kerbala with followers of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, regarded as the country's most influential Shi'ite cleric.

Sadr then agreed not to resort to violence but insisted the United States should withdraw its occupation forces from Iraq, they added.

Moderate Shi'ite leaders such as Sistani are seen as wary of being drawn into the conflict. Police in the seminary city of Najaf have allowed Sadr's followers to occupy their stations, and Sistani's followers let them effectively take over the city.

"There is not much Shi'ite holy men like Sistani can do," the council official said. "They are men of religion, not interior ministers."

[montag813]

They told Reuters after meeting to discuss the violence sweeping Iraq that using more force against the young cleric and his followers could lead to more civilian casualties and bolster support for him.

We could have killed him and his posse IDF-style the moment they left that mosque yesterday. As usual our wussy DoD leadership dropped the ball again.

[Cold Heat]

They are so "deal" intensive.

This is the way they have operated for centuries and it is not going to be easy to break them of this habit.

[adam_az]

Read post 28

it is RIGHT on the money.

This article is al-Reuters spin.

A discussion, and a leak by one unnamed source does not a policy make!!!

Who knows if anyone even made the statement, or if the person who made it is even in the council. Look at the byline - the commie Mark Felchin'.

[adam_az]

my embarassment - i confused our freeper with a commie al-Reuters stringer

I am red faced - apology to Mark

NO apology to the al-Reuters writers who are more crooked than a San Francisco street.

[cdrw]

So murder and armed insurrection are okay as long as you maintain the capability to inflict a lot of harm, take over police stations, induce large amounts of civilian collateral damage ... but if your are just you average criminal citizen with no backing from Tehran (sp?) then we will lock you up.

These guys are totally nuts. VERY VERY bad idea. Nobody in a civilized society is allowed to get away with murder or armed insurrection against the government.

Sadr should hang.

[GraniteStateConservative]

You don't have a choice. You are a part of it.

[OhFor theLoveofGod]

Could the Iraqi Governing Council be any more dumb? No wonder Saddam killed everyone - they had no brains to reason with.

First, the Iraqi Justice Department says they knew of no arrest warrant for Sadr (absolving themselves of taking a side in the matter), and now this?!?!

What is wrong with these people? These folks will one day realize the Freedom Isn't Free.

[ZULU]

Nothing succeeds like success. If he walks away from this alive, we will here from him and other like him very soon.

[CaptRon]

Sadr could easily be contained in a box about 6 feet by 2 feet.

[expatpat]

You think like an Arab!

[freebilly]

Too little too late. We're gonna kick ass to make sure this sh!t doesn't happen again....

[Wolfhound777]

Forget it. It's on now. We have them them where we want them and that's out in the open trying to engaging us. This works to our benefit as we can eliminate them more quickly. I do agree with the no prosecution though as it is tough to send a dead person to jail.

[swarthyguy]

>>Did anyone explain how he made it from Sadr City to Najaf after we'd declared him an outlaw?

Two thoughts. We had no clue and he slipped out.

Or, we saw him getting into a caravan of buses, cars but didn't want to kill him.

Arrest warrants vs jihad.

If he gives the Friday prayer this week, he's won.

Winning - holding off the US and igniting a firestorm across the South and the Baghdad area. Not bad for an outlaw.

[cdrw]

Hadn't heard of them backing away from the warrant. These guys are just begging for civil war. I'm unimpressed.

[truth_seeker]

"It's not unlike training a puppy: the minute you say "sit," you have to enforce it, even if you don't really care if the puppy sits, because once he believes that you lack the will to enforce your commands, it's all over."

I'm probably not the only canine lover, that is insulted you would liken these bearded terrorists, to dogs.

There is no good reason to hurt, much less kill a dog.

There is no good reason to let a terrorist live.

[Robert_Paulson2]

yeah.
and kerry in his own unique way... just committed his treason again.

He belongs in gitmo. Along with most of the party leadership.
better them, than us.

[Redcloak]

I have a better idea: Lop off Al-Sadr's head and stick it on a pike. Case closed.

[KC_for_Freedom]

have a better idea: Lop off Al-Sadr's head and stick it on a pike. Case closed.

This act would win their respect. They would say, aha, the infidel is finally starting to understand our society. Every time I read that some battle has stopped for some negotiation, I know they are bribing their way out through some tunnel we will find out about later.