One clear thing. Six more invaders killed, 88 this month and counting. Go Iraq!
Leland F. Jackson, CPA wrote: > I wonder why British and Iraq troops were trying to arrest the leader > of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia? > > #---------------------------------- > > > Cleric targets surge plans > > By Ravi Nessman > ASSOCIATED PRESS > May 26, 2007 > > BAGHDAD -- Militant Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr resurfaced yesterday > after nearly four months in hiding and demanded U.S. troops leave Iraq, > a development likely to complicate U.S. efforts to crack down on > violence and broker political compromise in the country. > Hours later, the notorious leader of Sheik al-Sadr's Mahdi Army > militia in the city of Basra was killed in a shootout as British and > Iraq troops tried to arrest him, police and the British military said, > further enflaming tensions in the Shi'ite areas of southern Iraq. > While the call for a U.S. pullout was nothing new, Sheik al-Sadr > also peppered his speech in the city of Kufa with nationalist overtones, > criticizing the government for not providing services, appealing to his > followers not to fight with Iraqi security forces and reaching out to > Sunnis. > "To our Iraqi Sunni brothers, I say that the occupation sows > dissension among us and that strength is unity and division is > weakness," he said. "I'm ready to cooperate with them in all fields." > The U.S. military also announced yesterday the deaths of six U.S. > soldiers, putting May on pace to be one of the deadliest months for U.S. > forces here in years. > Sheik al-Sadr went underground -- reportedly in Iran -- at the start > of the U.S.-led security crackdown on Baghdad 14 weeks ago. He also had > ordered his militia off the streets to prevent conflict with U.S. forces. > His return to the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf appeared to be an > effort by the 33-year-old firebrand cleric to regain control over his > militia, which had begun fragmenting, and to take advantage of the > illness of a Shi'ite rival. There had also been some indication that his > absence from the national arena was costing him political support. > Sheik al-Sadr drove in a long motorcade from Najaf to its sister > city of Kufa to deliver an anti-American sermon to 6,000 chanting > supporters at the main mosque. > "No, no for Satan. No, no for America. No, no for the occupation. > No, no for Israel," the glowering, black-turbaned cleric chanted in a > call and response with the crowd. > "We demand the withdrawal of the occupation forces, or the creation > of a timetable for such a withdrawal," he said, wiping sweat from his > brow with a white cloth as temperatures hovered at 113 degrees. "I call > upon the Iraqi government not to extend the occupation even for a single > day." > The extension of an olive branch to Sunnis, the former rulers of > Iraq, put him at least verbally on the side of those seeking sectarian > reconciliation. > Sheik al-Sadr did not address his reasons for returning. During his > absence, his militia appeared to have split into a faction calling > itself the "noble Mahdi Army" and more extremist elements that it > accuses of killing Sunnis and embezzling funds. > In addition to trying to rein in the force, Sheik al-Sadr is also > thought to be honing plans to consolidate political gains and foster > ties with Iran -- and possibly trying to capitalize on the illness of > Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who was > recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went to Iran for treatment. > Sheik al-Sadr's associates say his strategy rests in part on his > belief that Washington will soon start reducing troop strength, leaving > a hole in Iraq's security and political power structure that he can fill. > In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe > expressed hope that Sheik al-Sadr's reappearance signaled he wanted "to > play a positive role inside Iraq." > "He has an opportunity to be a part of the political reconciliation > process. We'll see if he and his followers participate," he said. > Later yesterday, the Mahdi Army received a blow when its Basra > leader, Wissam al-Waili, 23, also known as Abu Qadir, was shot and > killed along with his brother and two aides during a gunbattle with > British and Iraqi troops, police and the British military said. > The battle began about 4 p.m. during a raid to arrest Mr. al-Waili > in Jumhoriyah, a middle-class, residential area in central Basra, police > said. Mr. al-Waili and his three companions opened fire and were killed > when the troops shot back, police said. > Several hours later, Mahdi Army militants broke into the home of a > former top Iraqi officer in Basra, set one Humvee on fire and stole > another. > Meanwhile, three U.S. soldiers were killed in roadside bombings in > the capital and the surrounding areas, the military said yesterday. Two > others were killed in explosions north of Baghdad, and a sixth soldier > was hit by gunfire in Diyala province, the military said. > The killings raised the American death toll for the month to at > least 88 through Thursday. > > http://insider.washingtontimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20070526-120203-5362r > > or > > http://tinyurl.com/37l3o8 > #-------------------------------------------------------- > > Regards, > > LelandJ > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. 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