Mar 30 2008
Moqtada al-Sadr Surrenders
Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called off his militia in southern Iraq and submitted his terms for his forces to stop fighting (terms for their surrender):
Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has ordered his fighters off the streets of Basra and other cities in an effort to end clashes with security forces.
He said in a statement that his movement wanted the Iraqi people to stop the bloodshed and maintain the nation’s independence and stability.
…
The cleric also demanded that the government apply the general amnesty law, release detainees and stop what he called illegal raids.
Moqtada Sadr also told his followers to “work with Iraqi government offices to achieve security and to file charges against those who have committed crimes”.
Sadr must be a democrat at heart for the way he tries to spin a loss into a position from which he can dictate any terms. The fact is his forces were taken a beating and he had no broad support, so he capitulated and all we are discussing how to give him some face saving for the surrender. This is a huge success for Iraq, who has now defeated both al-Qaeda and al-Sadr, the two largest threats to their nation. Now onto the October elections.
Update: If any one is wondering why al-Sadr has decided to surrender Bill Roggio has some news that can explain his actions:
With the fifth day of fighting in Baghdad, Basrah and the South completed, the Mahdi Army has suffered major losses over the past 36 hours. The Mahdi Army has not faired well over the past five days of fighting, losing an estimated two percent of its combat power, using the best case estimate for the size of the militia.
A look at the open source press reports from the US and Iraqi military and the established newspapers indicates 145 Mahdi Army fighters were killed, 81 were wounded, 98 were captured, and 30 surrendered during the past 36 hours.
Since the fighting began on Tuesday 358 Mahdi Army fighters were killed, 531 were wounded, 343 were captured, and 30 surrendered. The US and Iraqi security forces have killed 125 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad alone, while Iraqi security forces have killed 140 Mahdi fighters in Basra.
While the size of the Mahdi Army is a constant source of debate, media accounts often put the Mahdi Army at anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 fighters. With an estimated 1,000 Mahdi fighters killed, captured, wounded and surrendered, the Mahdi Army has taken an attrition rate of 1.5 to 2.5 percent over the past five days.
…
Maliki called the Shia terrorists “worse than al Qaeda” and vowed to remain in Basrah until the operation is completed. “Our determination is strong … those who break the law are punished, and those who draw their weapons in the face of the state are punished,” Maliki said on Iraqi state television.
Assuming the Mahdi force is exaggerated (which is not unreasonable) and whatever the number is it would be the premier forces in the fight and taking the hits (others would run and hide) I would say the decimation of Sadr’s forces is why he decided he needs to pull back before he is left with nothing. Iraq is going to be an interesting place to watch this year with both the Shiite Militia’s and al-Qaeda vanquished and defeated.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/30/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Violence.php
Five more “Awakenings” killed in Baghdad, but because America took sides in the inter-Shia dispute, perhaps they were killed by
Shias who resent their allying with the occupier, rather than “al Qaeda.”
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=25120
When a Great Power Goes Mad
An obvious reason why the mainstream US press can’t handle the Iraq truth is that to do so would mean that President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, a host of other US officials and even some prominent journalists could be regarded as war criminals, says Robert Parry.
With the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War and the grim milestone of 4,000 US dead, the nation has been awash with news retrospectives on the war and speeches by politicians, mostly offering sanitized versions of what’s transpired.
With a few exceptions, these media/political reflections have had the feel of self-rationalizations, more than self-criticisms. They’ve conveyed a sense that the US system is doing just fine, thank you, although a few mistakes were made.
So, you have President George W. Bush, the chief author of this catastrophic war, declaring that “normalcy is returning back to Iraq†even as fighting rages across much of the country and rockets rain down on the highly fortified Green Zone in Baghdad.
Read it all.
do a deal with Iran that Israel won’t like, you’ve got no business believing the Iraq War can be “won.â€
Left by truthhard2take on March 30th, 2008
OMG! HE’S BACK!
It IS “Ken”/”Bootlicker”/”THECENTERISABUNGHOLE”/”N(W)orm”!
There is NO DOUBT about!
What a pathetic, rectally-manipulated Sockpuppet!
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
PS: Among people who know inside the “Beltway”, such as me; Anthony Cordesman is known as a Lefty who despises Bush and has been against the Iraq War since the beginning. He cranks out a product of “analysis” a day, and when the war in Iraq is going “bad”, he points it out and takes credit; when the war is going “good”, he points it out and says “See, I told you so…”; he’s on both sides of the issue, depending upon which way the wind is blowing…
He works for an organization, CSIS.org, that is so lefty, it would make the French Revolution look like a Rightwing Militia.
It claims on it’s website to be “bipartisan”; but it is run by a dyed-in-the-wool Clintonite, is populated by Carterite’s and Clintonites such as Madeline Albright (BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!); and because they have one Anti-George Bush individual, who actually worked for Bush’s father, and Henry Kissinger, on the board, they claim to be “bipartisan”!
Ah….yeah…..chirp……chirp……..chirp……..
As unrepentent Lefty and Trotskyite Christopher Hitchens himself has said: The CSIS is composed of psuedo scholars representing a Leftist philosophy!
In fact, there’s a very good chance that George Soros provides significant funding….
That’s how much credibility they have!
Nice try though, “Bootlicker”!
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
Only a frustrated quagmired imperialist could interpret my evaluation of Cordesman as a positive one. Did Cordesman back Murtha when he called for bringing the troops home? Did he back Kucinich’s moves to cut off funding? Not even Obama could bring himself to do that.
He’;s on your side, not mine, Friedman unit-ting along. Obama wants to leave thugs working for private contractors in Iraq, Clinton
a sizeable “terrorist” fighting unit? Only Richardson, Kucinich and Nader have called for a clean break and only one of those is running for prez. As of now, he gets my vote.
Left by truthhard2take on March 31st, 2008
The only “side” you’re on is that of the Anti-American/Pro-Jihadi Leftist Nutbag Traitors!
Enjoy, it’s a special level of Hell that you burn in!
Who taught you the American government was holy, pagan worship thereof spiritually decisive,” Rev.” Hagee?
[…] noted in previous posts (here, here and here – thanks LJStrata for reminding me to put the links in!) that Moqtada al-Sadr […]
[…] is no love loss between the two groups. And the fact Sadr’s forces are getting decimated (from reports coming out of Iraq) it is obvious his forces are not holding off anything, just filling up body […]