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| Iraq |
| Religious leaders tell al-Sadr to keep militia intact |
| 2008-04-08 |
| Iraq's top Shiite religious leaders have told anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr not to disband his Mehdi Army, an al-Sadr spokesman said Monday amid fresh fighting in the militia's Baghdad strongholds. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanded Sunday that the cleric disband his militia, which waged two uprisings against U.S. troops in 2004, or see his supporters barred from public office. But al-Sadr spokesman Salah al-Obeidi said al-Sadr has consulted with Iraq's Shiite clerical leadership "and they refused that." He did not provide details of the talks. So he claims. Rest at link. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #10 Very clever move by Maliki to make Sadr choose between his militia and participating in elections and the parlimentary process. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-04-08 19:50 |
| #9 MSNBC/CNBC + CNN this AM > news interpreted by Perst as meaning that IRAN WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SUBSTANS POWER PLAYER IN THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ + that IGA must formally consider Iran's viewpoint in any and all national policies. IOW, IRAN "DID NOT LOSE" IN BASRA FIGHTING. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-08 19:39 |
| #8 Seems Sadr was lying. Contrary info is coming out - that he has NOT checked yet. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-08 19:02 |
| #7 I've no doubt Pastor Wright will be weighing in momentarily. |
| Posted by: doc 2008-04-08 18:37 |
| #6 I think the National Capital Presbytery was going to make a similar recommendation to our senior pastor. Or, you know, not. |
| Posted by: Sonny Elmeamp2499 2008-04-08 17:15 |
| #5 It seems to me that Sadr is going to be politically marginalized if the Mahdi "army" does not cease activities and lay down its arms. Perhaps that is the preferred outcome. Keep them fighting for a while...it makes it clear that they are not for a peaceful actor in the new Iraq, it makes them appear as tools of Iran, it makes the local populace hate them even more and it gives our guys and the Iraqi Army a chance to kill even more of them. All a win from my perspective (other than the risk of losing more of our people of course). |
| Posted by: Remoteman 2008-04-08 13:38 |
| #4 Agreed. The Shiites want the leverage but the major players want to apppear 'clean'; if they have to use a wannabe cleric and his Fighters of Dubious Distinction, so be it. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-04-08 13:07 |
| #3 quelle surprise. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-08 12:52 |
| #2 That'd be the "Top Iraqi clerics" in Qom, Iran, I take it. |
| Posted by: Chief Running Gag 2008-04-08 12:03 |
| #1 We'll have our top men working on it. Top men. Be a good time for Sistani to cut him off at the knees, if that worthy was so inclined. Although who knows, maybe top religious leaders in taterland means some obscure students of Sadr's pet ayatollah back in Qom, whasshisname. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2008-04-08 11:19 |