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| Iraq-Jordan |
| U.S. Forces Move in on Sadr HQ in Baghdad Suburb |
| 2004-05-08 |
| U.S. tanks and armored vehicles briefly circled the offices of rebel Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad’s Sadr City on Saturday, stepping up pressure on the militia leader. Witnesses said at least two tanks took up position near the offices in Sadr’s stronghold in the northeast of the city and gunfire crackled through the district as U.S. helicopters swept overhead. Some said troops had raided the offices, but the U.S. military had no immediate comment. U.S. forces pulled out of the area after less than an hour. The U.S. military has stepped up operations against Sadr in recent days, putting pressure on his militia, known as the Mehdi Army, in the cities of Najaf and Kerbala, south of Baghdad, where the militia took control of the central areas. Earlier on Saturday, Mehdi militiamen fought several gunbattles with British troops in the southern port city of Basra leaving at least two militiamen dead and several British soldiers wounded. British forces also clashed with militia in the town of Amara, north of Basra. Sounds like a cat engaging in mouth play before it kills the mouse. |
| Posted by:Mr. Davis |
| #7 Has anyone noticed how the fighting has taken second billing behind Prison Porn? Maybe we'll have Sadr finished up before the media's attention is attracted by the next pretty light. Big media sure has a hard time multitasking. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-05-08 10:37:56 PM |
| #6 Andy, This is serious. We're going to play with him till he does something stupid and then let his countrymen do him in. Great morale builder and PR. He was dead a week ago but too few can read the brain scan properly. |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-05-08 4:37:45 PM |
| #5 Why is this guy still breathing? When is the U.S. going to get serious? |
| Posted by: A Jackson 2004-05-08 4:32:22 PM |
| #4 Remember the addage, "It's better to be feared than to be treated with contempt." Right now, there are several groups of Iraqis that have gotten away with treating us with contempt. That HAS to stop. If that means tearing up an Iraqi city or two, that's too bad - it's that old "cause and effect" thing again. We are willing to work with the Iraqis as equals, but we should never let them treat us with contempt. Anyone that does should IMMEDIATELY find a bullet between their eyes. They should learn to respect us. Failing that, they should learn the hard way, if necessary, to fear us. Otherwise, we'll be dealing with this mess for the next 300 years. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-05-08 2:39:57 PM |
| #3 sorry - swallowed the F in Fallujah while hacking |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-08 2:13:26 PM |
| #2 you do it with the veiled threat of a reunited, refitted, and rearmed Sunni brigade... *cough*allujah*cough* the Brits were masters of playing factions off against each other, learn their best lessons |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-08 2:12:50 PM |
| #1 Yes! I like the sound of this - the US has been tip-toeing about with the so-called Shi'a leaders - without results. They merely say don't support Sadr but resist the occupiers. That's not good enough. Some of the best people on the planet have died to reach this moment in time. Let that not be in vain - pursue a fair and equitable end -- or else. And I'd take else before I'd accept anything less than what we came for: to install a fair and equitable representative democracy, probably in the form of a Confederation / Republic. Regards the "else", yeah, I know about the Dire Dangers of a General Uprising of Shi'a - but keep one thing in mind: they won't do it unless told to. They will live their lives, make money, raise children, etc. unless told to do differently. How we accomplish the feat of keeping their mullahs from playing hardball games I leave to your imaginations. The triangulation game with the Sunnis strikes me as clever, but short-term. So how do you "convert" Shi'a leaders to a position supporting a clean constitution? I have my notions. One thing of which I am certain: you don't do it by obsequious hat-in-hand behavior or pandering to egos - that liberates all of the worst aspects of the Arab collective personality. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-08 1:55:08 PM |