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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Najaf fighting continues despite pledge | |
| 2004-05-30 | |
| Fighting between U.S. forces and the Mehdi Army militia continued Saturday, two days after radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr pledged to withdraw most of his militia from the Najaf region if U.S. forces did the same. After insurgents attacked American forces Friday in Najaf and Kufa, coalition military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the attacks were "small incidents" and "don't seem to be endemic." "We can't really say if these are characteristic of a larger group splitting away from Sadr or if it is just some of the groups that haven't gotten the word," Kimmitt said. "It could take a few days before the true cease-fire that he offered holds. We will have to wait and see and respond as and when necessary." "We have seen Muqtada al-Sadr take a positive step," coalition spokesman Dan Senor said. "We think it is a first step, but it is not a solution to the broader problems. Today we continue to be cautiously optimistic about the direction this situation is headed."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #11 You're going back to being a Zipperhead, you know... No-one's negotiating with the hard boyz like Bin Laden and Zaqawi and Al-Sadr, but getting to the ones around them who really aren't all that into it (they don't wanna commit suicide for the 72 raisins) and isolating Mookie and Zaqarwi. This is how we got Saddam and a whole lot of other bad guys in Iraq. Eventually, these Iraqis can see that the Coalition is truly the "stronge horse" and get tired of fighting for a better Iraq when they could help the Coalition do that peacefully. |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-30 7:45:54 AM |
| #10 lol kinda reminds me of Mo Molam the other day on BBC radeo 2 saying we need to negotiate with Binny and his goons,how people can even entertain the idea of negotiating with Binny is far beyond me. :( |
| Posted by: Shep UK 2004-05-30 6:26:06 AM |
| #9 I mean, haven't any of them seen "The Fifth Element?" Korben Dallas: Who want's to negotiate? [someone raises a hand and is instantly shot dead by Dallas] Korben Dallas: All right, anybody else want to negotiate? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-30 2:40:09 AM |
| #8 Why is it that no one seems to have yet learned about the futility of negotiating with terrorists? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-30 2:31:45 AM |
| #7 And I just found out it was linked to yesterday/earlier tonight. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-05-30 2:22:01 AM |
| #6 Interesting article. I think it needs to be a top-level link and not just in the comments. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-05-30 2:00:37 AM |
| #5 Check out this latest story from the region in the Telegraph: Iraqi insurgents turn against 'out of control' Saudi al-Qaeda fighters. It's a "long, hard slog" but slowly and surely we're turning the situation around to our advantage (and ultimately Iraq's, too). Both the British in 1920 and Saddam tried that "kill them all" strategy and it worked out poorly for both of them! Hearts and minds are much more lasting and important. |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-30 1:25:52 AM |
| #4 Maybe in the coming months or years Sadr will tragically die. Hey, accidents happen. |
| Posted by: Les Nessman 2004-05-30 1:25:00 AM |
| #3 Thank God the State Dept. isn't running the military part of the war! (yet) There's no way of knowing if the way they're handling the al-Sadr uprising is a "dumb idea" or not, but I'm reserving my judgement. I'm sick of people here saying that the US is "losing" or using "dumb ideas" or "showing we're weak" or whatever just because we haven't sent in the Marines in Najaf and Falluja to carry out a "scorched earth" policy! I'm reserving my judgement as to whether this a 'dumb" or a brilliant idea to try and work it out with the Enemy fighters with a minimum of casualties on both sides. For now, I'm trusting in Kimmitt's, Rummy's, Myers's and Sanchez's tactics. I don't argue with troops and their commanders that are "in theatre" when I'm not and certainly am not being given perfect information from our beloved partisan media. |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-30 1:19:41 AM |
| #2 Again, mark my words, if Sadr survives the handover of power. he WILL provoke civil war within 3 years, aligning the 'New Islamic Authority' of Iraq, with Iran creating a Super State of Iran!! This will occur only if the 'Wildcard' of Israel doesn't take preemptive action against Iran's Nuclear production facilities before the end of this year!! |
| Posted by: smn 2004-05-30 1:14:14 AM |
| #1 Karbala, Kimmitt said, was calm Friday while U.S. forces began a weapons buy-back plan to get guns off the street Does the State Department think that dumb ideas that don't work in the US become suddenly more effective in Iraq? |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-05-30 1:04:30 AM |