Posted on 05/09/2008 9:20:49 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
BAGHDAD — Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad's Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.
In return, Sadr's Mahdi Army supporters won the Iraqi government's agreement not to arrest Mahdi Army members without warrants, unless they were in possession of "medium and heavy weaponry."
The agreement would end six weeks of fighting in the vast Shiite Muslim area that's home to more than 2 million residents and would mark the first time that the area would be under government control since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. On Friday, 15 people were killed and 112 were injured in fighting, officials at the neighborhoods two major hospitals said.
It also would be a startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki, who'd been widely criticized for picking a fight with Sadr's forces, first in the southern port city of Basra and then in Sadr City.
Members of Maliki's Dawa Party and the powerful Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq met with Sadr officials on Thursday and Friday to come up with a 14-point agreement to end the weeks of fighting, which has hindered the flow of food and water into Sadr City. The agreement was then passed to Sadr and Maliki for final approval, said Baha al Araji, a Sadrist legislator.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
We've got about 12000 good Iraqi people holding in a stadium until we can let them back after we clear out the Mehdis.
US Special Forces fighting inside Sadr City
Might have something to do with them calling for a timeout!
I wonder how soon all of Sadr’s supporters quotes are “corrected”. Specifically that part about no US forces being allowed in Sadr city...
I am sure Sadr would like it, but am also sure Maliki wouldn’t agree to something like that. I’ll bet this becomes a point of contention soon.
This was posted just a bit ago...:US Special Forces fighting inside Sadr City
Might have something to do with them calling for a timeout!
Fallujah Revisited: Bush, Petraeus Prepare 'Cleansing' of Sadr City
********************************EXCERPT*************************
George W. Bush and David Petraeus are preparing to make a new Fallujah in Sadr City, home to two million Shiites in Baghdad. Thousands of people are already fleeing the area before the full-scale slaughter and destruction begin. As in Fallujah, the multitudes who cannot escape will be trapped in a "free fire zone", subjected to ruthless bombardment and ground assault. Thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of innocent civilians stand in the shadow of imminent death.
The assault is part of the run-up to the coming attack on Iran -- an attempt to secure the rear of that new front by destroying Iraq's Shiite nationalist forces. It is also part of an on-going effort to eliminate the strongest rival to the Shiite extremists that Bush has installed in office in Iraq, before the conquered land's fall elections.
The preliminary assault on Sadr City has already begun, of course. As the BBC notes, in the last seven weeks around 1,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have already been killed by the Bush-Petraeus "surge" into the area. Petraeus is frantically building high-walled ghettos in Sadr City, slicing neighborhoods in half, sundering families, destroying communities and livelihoods. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is circulating leaflets in Sadr City districts, warning the people to leave -- or else.
This, you understand, is liberation. This is freedom. This is the glorious "surge" to victory. As Tacitus noted:
Don't....trust....it!!
Good news from Iraq ping.
That was my thought....they will take a break then start up again later.
Nite all!
These clowns always spin their losses to make it sound as if they’re the ones in charge, and ‘allowing’ the winner to take the spoils is all their idea. It’s sort of the equivalent of saying “we’ve decided to permit you to kick our butts”. Good ole’ Arab psychology 1A. Rumor has it that a few years back they decided to allow us to invade their country. Thank God! Otherwise we’d have never gotten to Baghdad.
I ... totally .... agree !
Combat video from today - Sadr City
US/Iraqi soldiers
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tfqg0jiiL08
Give ‘em hell!
Prayers up for all these unbelievably
brave warriors. Lord, bless and protect
them.
BTTT
The Muslims in Lebanon were waving al Sadr’s photo as they welcomed Hizbullah yesterday. Al Sadr is doing just fine and he is extending his control (aka Iran’s control) throughout the ME. Unfortunately, I think it’s too late to take him out, even if we could find him.
as-Sadr is not just some guy who came out of nowhere in Iraq just now. They are a famous sayyid family & beloved by Shi’a everywhere. Musa as-Sadr (2nd or 3rd cousin to Moqtada) is the biggest hero among Lebanese Shi’a.
A REVERSE Trojan Horse bump!
Prayers up, stay safe, Sisters and Brothers afar.
......but I think they just need a time-out to rearm/resupply......
They are contained within a walled off compound. Resupply is going to be difficult. As soon as one pops off, he will die.
To engage, they must move. Elsewhere is also pretty much contained.
Let’s look at our choices mates. We can either be killed or see if we can extend the hostage negotiations. And while we are at it, and having expert minders from Iran ready to fast talk, we can probably flip quite a few of your soldiers. Come on in.
We keep them alive to keep the Sunnis running scared. Okay gotcha.
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