US Troops surround Al Sadr House

[cal04]

US troops have surrounded the home of wanted Shi'ite Muslim radical leader Moqtada al Sadr in the Iraqi city of Najaf, according to reports.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1146073,00.html
US troops surrounded the home of wanted Shiite Muslim radical leader Moqtada al Sadr in the central Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Monday, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

US armoured vehicles, backed by Iraqi security forces, cordoned off the Al-Zahra neighbourhood, where Sadr's home is located in the eastern part of the city.

Smoke was seen rising from the area amid the sound of heavy gunfire, mortar fire and rocket-propelled grenade explosions.
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1566946,00.html

[DrWeird]

1. Oh, this is a good idea.

God bless Bush, the original intelligence failure.

[Jacobin]

15. Yeah. This guy has the support of over 30% of Iraqis

Way higher polls than the newly installed CIA puppet we picked for their dictator.

Must be killed. Cannot allow democracy to flourish.

[RummyTheDummy]

28. If they kill him.....

It'll be in the 80s. Never underestimate the power of martyrdom. You would think BushCo would understand that, but alas, the previous four years have proven they can't even to begin to understand the citizens of that region of the world and how they think.

[Aidoneus]

29. actually, it's more like 2/3s

Whoever decided that this move has any logic to it should be shot, and probably will be if there is any harm is brought to Sayyid Muqtada.

[jpgray]

2. I thought a deal had been made?

What's this?

[underpants]

9. Uh would you trust anything that W&Co. told YOU?

I didn't think so.

[jpgray]

14. Right, but this is downright stupid--there's no benefit to be gained...

Oh wait, I forgot who we have in charge.

[David Dunham]

3. It's civil war time in Iraq.

[Frances]

6. Civil War was my first thought as well.

Is this payback for the bombing of Christian churches?

Somehow I don't think attacking al Sadr will make things better.

[wryter2000]

16. Great, idjits

We saw what happened when we shut down his newspaper. Go ahead and attack the guy. Morons.

[AlCzervik]

12. exactly

Bush has created the self fulfilling prophecy.

[bpilgrim]

30. Revolutionary War

is what it looks like from the cheap seats

peace

[SheepyMcSheepster]

4. i thought that al sadr was being a good boy these days?

wasn't the sadr militia thing resolved?

[Barrett808]

5. Wonder if this is in response to the electricity riots in Najaf

Electricity riots reported in Najaf
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=72739

...Some 100 Iraqis angry at persistent powercuts stormed Najaf’s electricity distribution centre on Sunday for the second consecutive day, causing frightened staff to flee. The protest came after Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr accused the interim government of failing to restore basic services in his Friday sermon.

The protestors occupied the centre for about an hour in the city, where Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia still controls the area around the shrine of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), an AFP correspondent said.

[Barrett808]

20. Juan Cole: Mahdi Army protected Electricity Office employees

Al-Zaman: For the second straight day on Sunday, angry crowds attacked the Electricity Office in downtown Najaf, protesting interruptions in the electricity supply that stretched to as many as 18 hours straight in recent days. The lack of electricity hurts local industry and agriculture, and leaves the population without air conditioning or fans at a time when highs are 50 C./ 122 F.

Employees fled from the Electricity Office in fear of their lives, and were protected from attack by the Mahdi Army militiamen of Muqtada al-Sadr, who still patrol the Old City. (The role of the Sadrist militia in providing law and order (albeit of an often somewhat fascist coloration) in the past two months has been noted by Awadh al-Taie and Aqil Jabbar.)

One of the protesters said that the electricity situation was something people could no longer remain silent about.

http://www.juancole.com/2004_08_01_juancole_archive.html#109142109559924607

[maxsolomon]

7. did sharon suggest this tactic?

christ on a cruch what a bonehead move. instant legitimacy for a loose cannon.

[Halliburton]

8. They've also arrested another rebellious cleric...

What the hell is going on?

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-08/02/article04.shtml

[PATRICK]

13. As much order as possible

beofre the GOP Convention. I don't they any long term strategy is dominant other than getting the situation quiet as much as possible and Bush reselected. Which means they may get neither one nor the other as it has turned out so far.

If Bush loses he will probably let Iraq rot as he did the "Road Map", aid to Africa, that odd distraction about world slavery, mission to Mars(or was that "bars"?), education, environmental protection, outreach to labor, free trade... Stop, I can't take it anymore.

[Trajan]

10. Bush creating Martyrs the old fashioned way .....

public execution ...

[stellanoir]

11. this idiocy will hardly inspire greater stability

I met a Pakistani who had lived in Iraq and knows al Sistani and he said that if we take out al Sadr, it'll only take one word from al Sistani to trigger a total revolt.

al Sadr had a meager following until we shut down his paper.

[bemildred]

17. Bombing Xtian churches.

Bombings in Faloojah.
Terror in New York.
Surrounding al Sadr (shades of Arafat).
I sense a new bullshit offensive ramping up.
I guess the "Handover of Sovereignty(tm)" has not had the desired
effect, so more desperate measures are called for.

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Hope all of you have read Robert Fisk's piece today on

Truthout.org. It gives a real view of what is going on in Iraq.

<snip>

"For just as, before the war, our governments warned us of threats that did not exist, now they hide from us the threats that do exist. Much of Iraq has fallen outside the control of America's puppet government in Baghdad but we are not told. Hundreds of attacks are made against US troops every month. But unless an American dies, we are not told. This month's death toll of Iraqis in Baghdad alone has now reached 700 - the worst month since the invasion ended. But we are not told."

Here's the link: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/080204E.shtml

[Veggie Meathead]

19. The entire premise of the socalled transfer of sovereignty

charade was to find a willing assassin a la the Shah of Iran to carry out the orders of the American occupiers of Iraq.With Allawi in place a reign of terror is being let loose on Iraq so that the Americans can remain blameless even as the Abu Ghraib type tortures and other crimes are being perpetrated.

Just as in Iran, Allawi will also come to an inglorious end.Remember
Somoza,Thieu, Diem,Zia and all the other American quislings that met bloody fates at the hands of their own people when you think of Allawi.

[aneerkoinos]

21. fighting back

Najaf - A gun battle erupted on Monday evening in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf after United States troops approached the house of militant Shi'a cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, witnesses said.

They said members of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia were exchanging fire with American soldiers.

more (not much):
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=2813&art_id=qw1091461681867B262&click_id=2813&set_id=1

[markses]

22. I have to believe that they've worked out a deal

The news of late has been a very tenuous truce btween US forces and the Mahdi Army, from Najaf, down to Nasiriyah, over to Sadr City in Baghdad - a decrease of violence, but on eggshells. This is bull in a chinashop stuff if they're trying to storm Sadr's place - unless they have some deal worked out. Otherwise, we are likely to see April-level violence across Iraq over the next several days. It just doesn't make any sense.

[Barrett808]

23. U.S. Forces Clash With al-Sadr's Gunmen

KUFA, Iraq - U.S. forces clashed Monday with gunmen protecting the house of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Kufa. One woman was killed and three people were wounded, a hospital official said.

The U.S. military had no immediate comment.

At least six U.S. military vehicles entered the Zahra area in Kufa near al-Sadr's house, which is protected by his militia, the Mahdi Army, witnesses said.

Heavy gunfire and a mortar barrage set cars on fire before Iraqi police intervened and the U.S. forces withdrew, witnesses said.

"One woman was killed and we have three injured," said Ajwak Kadhim, director at Al-Hakim Hospital in Kufa, 100 miles south of Baghdad.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040802/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_sadr_clashes

[phasev]

25. This guy again?

They seem to be just recycling the bad guys out there. Up next is Al Zarqawi.

[tlcandie]

24. Hell, why don't they just pull off an Israeli assassination of Sadr and

get it over with? That IS what they want. They are wasting time, lives and money.

What they've done is turned over control, reportedly, to the Iraqis, but in reality they are doing, at minimal, what they were doing originally if not more in regards to bombing and killings. The only difference now is they have a smoke screen and don't have to answer for every death!

[TheFarseer]

26. This falls right in line with Bush policy

attack the thing that was a problem long after it has ceased being a problem(Saddam about 13 years too late and Sadr about 4 months too late) Next up for a beat down is Tojo and those damn Japs! I thought Sadr had tried to quell the violence recently or am I wrong on this? At least I don't think he was being a problem anymore.

[REVOLT823]

27. Very intelligent,

off this guy or throw him in jail and the entire country will explode.

[Az_lefty]

31. we surrounded his house hours ago, anything happening now?

:shrug:

[cal04]

33. Not too many updates found

The US military had no immediate comment.

At least six US military vehicles entered the Zahra area in Kufa near Sadr's house, which is protected by his militia, the Mahdi Army, witnesses said.

Barrages of gunfire and mortar rounds set cars on fire before Iraqi police intervened and the US forces withdrew, witnesses said.

Witnesses told AP news agency Mr Sadr was in the house at the time. US forces are now said to have withdrawn.

[nosmokes]

32. why is it US troops?

what happened to iraqi sovereignty?

personally, i think iraq is about as sovereign as disneyland. you know that the US military wants sadr's head on a platter, and they'll come up with some phoney baloney excuse to put it there.

and as someone else said on another board i frequent, how do keep a war president in office? by making sure you're at war.

[Mika]

34. Actually, Disney is sovereign in Florida

Got its own police and laws. No shit.

[nosmokes]

35. ah, that's why i was specific and said

disney*land*. ;)

although, truth be known, i don't think anything actually happens in orange county without approval from the mouse.