Maliki Says Sadrist Foes “Worse Than Al Qaeda”
BAGHDAD- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the stakes in his five-day-old crackdown on Shi’ite militants on Saturday, describing his foes as “worse than al Qaeda.”
Fighting continued in Basra and Baghdad.
U.S. forces said they had killed 48 militants in air strikes and gun battles across the capital the previous day.
At least 133 bodies and 647 wounded were taken into hospitals in eastern Baghdad over five days of clashes, the head of the area’s health directorate, Ali Bustan, said.
In Basra, government troops said they had killed 120 fighters. Scores of people were reported killed in other towns across the south where fighting has spread.
“We used to talk about al Qaeda. Unfortunately it seems there are some among us who are worse than al Qaeda,” Maliki said in a televised meeting with tribal leaders in Basra, where he has personally overseen the crackdown since Tuesday.
(Reuters)
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yeah too bad you never went out and fought al Qaeda yourself Maliki. I wish him luck and I know the Mahdi army has a larger base than AQI.. but his claim is stupid
March 29th, 2008 at 2:28 pmAQ=slavery. Al-Sadr and Iran=slavery. What’s different? Between the two groups they both suck. I can’t believe every Shit-ite in Iraq follows this puppet of Iran Al-Mookie. I gotta belive that there are Shia who want freedom from Mookie’s brand of dictatorship.
Maliki may be an empty suit, and maybe it is time he stop being one. We’re not going to be there forever. It’s time for the average Shia to make up their mind whether or not they want freedom or slavery.
If Maliki pulls it off…then great. If not, then I’m all for putting the Sunnis back in power. Either way, Tet is on.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmAnd to the victor goes the spoils.
Right on Maliki, now fucking rip the Iranian lovin piglets new ones, dont give up, kill em till they are all dead. The US did it to AQ in Anbar, you can do it to JAM is Bashra.
March 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pmDan;
March 29th, 2008 at 7:05 pmLots of Iraqis reject the 2-choice scenario, and want nothing to do with sectarianism. Meanwhile, the sectarian parties are sweating bullets trying to figure not how to get wiped out in the next elections.