Al Sadr Praises Followers For Obeying Ceasefire Order
BAGHDAD (AFP)- Influential Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr praised his followers on Monday for obeying his ceasefire order, but criticised the Shi’ite-led government for failing to demand a withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Sadr, whose followers hold sway in Shi’ite areas of Baghdad and across parts of the south of the country, ordered his Mehdi Army militia to cease its activities in August, a surprise move that U.S. commanders said helped reduce bloodshed in Iraq.
“Turning to my brethren in the Mehdi Army, I thank them for their obedience to the halt,” he said in a lengthy statement to his followers.
But he also strongly criticised the United States, describing President George W. Bush as the “master of evil”, and rebuked the ruling Shi’ite parties for failing to call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“The parliament is Iraqi and the government is Iraqi, so where are your tongues? Raise your voice, my brothers … to expel the occupation,” he said.
For much of this year, U.S. forces said they considered rogue Mehdi Army units to be their greatest threat, although attacks have subsided since the August ceasefire.
And then there’s this from local Iraq media:
On Sunday a Sadrist source in Karbala said a delegation sent by Shiite leader al-Sadr arrived in Karbala on a fact-finding mission regarding arrests targeting Sadrists and their Mahdi Army militias.
“The delegation is comprised of Sadrist legislators and politicians,” said Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Muhammadawi, not revealing the names of the delegation’s members.
The delegation, which is to discuss security and political developments in Karbala to convey a clear picture to Muqtada al-Sadr, is scheduled to meet with officials, citizens, and detainees in the province, he said.
Yeah right. They’re just checking the place out. Mookie says “Is it OK for me to go down there yet?”
Sadr’s office strongly denounced arrests targeting his followers after the August 28, 2007 incidents of al-Ziyara al-Shaabaniya, or the mid-Shaaban visit, a holy pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, in which hundreds of civilians were killed or wounded and government and private property set ablaze.
The incidents were followed by a large wave of arrests by the Iraqi police in Karbala.
The sacred city of Karbala witnessed bloody incidents in late August when armed men clashed with police forces and guards protecting the tombs of Imams al-Hussein and his brother al-Abbas.
Clashes renewed a day later while the city was teeming with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who were attending the al-Ziyara al-Shaabaniya to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Messiah-like Imam al-Mahdi, the 12th holiest figure for Shiite Muslims.
48 people were killed and 384 others were wounded, some of them seriously, in those clashes, according to official figures.
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While JAM has crawled back under its rock, waiting for a convenient time, the IA and IP are getting better and better at their jobs. I’m just waiting for when Mookie and his band of merry idiots try something, just to watch the profound ass kicking that will ensue.
Once that happens, the Sadrist wing will collapse and the Iraqis can be free of that taint in their government. Granted, it doesn’t solve the overall problem of corruption, but it does sweep out a major political machine.
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:54 pmBoy, he sure does have a pretty mouth.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:53 pm“While JAM has crawled back under its rock, waiting for a convenient time, the IA and IP are getting better and better at their jobs.”
Problem is, you know they’re not just sitting under a rock. Yeah, they’ll still get the snot kicked out of them, but the Iranian Kuds have probably been training special groups all along.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:54 pmWill no one rid me of this meddlesome mullah?
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Someone needs to smoke this Asshole like a cheap cigar
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm“Influential Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr praised his followers on Monday for obeying his ceasefire order, but criticised the Shi’ite-led government for failing to demand a withdrawal of U.S. troops.”
“But he also strongly criticised the United States, describing President George W. Bush as the “master of evil”, and rebuked the ruling Shi’ite parties for failing to call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“The parliament is Iraqi and the government is Iraqi, so where are your tongues? Raise your voice, my brothers … to expel the occupation,” he said.”
Aw, shut up, piggy.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:16 pm