Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 02/20/2008 View Tue 02/19/2008 View Mon 02/18/2008 View Sun 02/17/2008 View Sat 02/16/2008 View Fri 02/15/2008 View Thu 02/14/2008
1
2008-02-20 Iraq
Al-Sadr threatens to end cease-fire
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by ed 2008-02-20 07:42|| || Front Page|| [9 views ]  Top
 File under: Mahdi Army 

#1 You'd think Tater would wait till the surge force has been completely drawn down (summer) - or even till theres a new US prez, since theres like a 5-50 chance it will be someone committed to a quick drawdown of remaining forces - why call off the ceasefire NOW?

1. Hes got superior insight into the US electoral process, and thinks the hardliner in the race is going to win, and wants either A. To get the offensive underway before that or B. wants to influence the US election
2. Hes hurting from the surge, too many of his cells are being broken up, too much progress is happening, and he has to try to stop it now before its too late
3. His friends in Teheran are pressing him to attack now for their own strategic reasons, in an attempt to gain leverage and so press to relieve pressure on Hezb, Hamas, etc.
Posted by liberalhawk 2008-02-20 09:50||   2008-02-20 09:50|| Front Page Top

#2 He will always "threaten" to end the ceasefire. That is a source of power for him. But when the time actually comes, he will back down because he has little support even among other Shiites.
Posted by crosspatch 2008-02-20 10:38||   2008-02-20 10:38|| Front Page Top

#3 It would be in his interests to wait until AQ is totally destroyed in Mosul.
Posted by 3dc 2008-02-20 11:08||   2008-02-20 11:08|| Front Page Top

#4 i wish he would put and end too it so we could finally wipe his rag tag "militia" off the face of the earth. They kinda reamind me of the milituia that used too arm themselves in the swamps of florida and georgia and i guess southern alabama
Posted by  sinse 2008-02-20 11:57||   2008-02-20 11:57|| Front Page Top

#5 Yeah, let's get it over with, Mookie!

On the other hand, what if he released his 'lions of islam' and nothing happened?

Must have at least crossed his mind....
Posted by Bobby 2008-02-20 12:12||   2008-02-20 12:12|| Front Page Top

#6 Of course, it's the AP that want us to believe that the entire reduction in violence is completely the result of Mookie and other, non-military actions.
Posted by Bobby 2008-02-20 12:23||   2008-02-20 12:23|| Front Page Top

#7 Have to agree that he has more power in saying so than doing so. If he get his butt kicked by the IA then he is done and he fails his poobah 'infidel antics' class.

From the other end, if his troops or irun is chomping at the bit for a fight that will also hurt his power if he does not do something, by which he fails his poobah 'jihad theories' class.

Tough spot. I'd suggest to him to do it over spring break when he is in dubai playing goat golf.

-totally agree Bobby
Posted by swksvolFF 2008-02-20 12:59||   2008-02-20 12:59|| Front Page Top

#8 The way it will probably play out is that some "breakthrough" will be engineered so that he can claim something as some sort of victory and extend the ceasefire. It might not be anything real, it is possible he could simply make something up. In that case we would likely not refute it unless there was some major problem with doing so.
Posted by crosspatch 2008-02-20 13:59||   2008-02-20 13:59|| Front Page Top

#9 We should just say, "Wish granted!" and take his out out violently, painfully and quickly.
Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader  2008-02-20 14:04||   2008-02-20 14:04|| Front Page Top

#10 That was a huge mistake on our part not to take out Tater in An Najaf siege in August 2004. Once he got his sorry a$$ out of a crack, he got some legitimacy with the Iraqi govt and he has been an abcess on the body politic since then.
Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul  2008-02-20 15:04||   2008-02-20 15:04|| Front Page Top

#11 The "Taliban Surge" + Mugniya/Mugniyeh, Africa, now Sadr > looks like the "Final/Decisive Battle" for IRAQ ISN'T GOING TO BE FOUGHT SOLELY INSIDE IRAQ. Risque' harbinger for IRAN, + AMER HIROSHIMAS. RADICAL ISLAM WANTS A BLOWOUT???
Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-02-20 21:58||   2008-02-20 21:58|| Front Page Top

#12 DarthVader, am with ya.
Posted by twobyfour 2008-02-20 23:55||   2008-02-20 23:55|| Front Page Top

23:55 twobyfour
23:52 twobyfour
23:51 www
23:45 twobyfour
23:36 phil_b
23:33 OldSpook
23:21 JohnQC
23:16 JohnQC
23:14 3dc
23:13 3dc
23:12 3dc
23:09 JohnQC
23:08 3dc
23:04 Procopius2k
22:59 Procopius2k
22:53 OldSpook
22:41 Sherry
22:40 JosephMendiola
22:35 JosephMendiola
22:14 Redneck Jim
22:10 JosephMendiola
22:07 OldSpook
22:07 DMFD
21:58 JosephMendiola









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com