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Finally: the defining moment

fff

Well-known member
What a bozo. Actually, what a pair of bozos, Bush and Maliki. Maliki took personal command of this "action" in Basra by the Iraq Army. He told the militias that they had three days to put down their arms. Now the US military has been called for back up, the militias have another week to sell their weapons to the government. Who do you think will foot the bill for these weapons? And do you seriously think they'll turn in anything except obsolete, broken, unneeded guns?

The United States stepped up its direct support for the Iraqi government offensive against Shiite Muslim militias Friday by using U.S. aircraft to bomb two targets in the oil hub of Basra, the British military said.

The U.S. military also continued its air strikes in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City neighborhood, which is largely under the control of the Mahdi Army militia of firebrand cleric Muqtada al Sadr, and Kadhemiyah neighborhood, an area also dominated by the Mahdi Army, according to residents.

The expanded U.S. air support came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki climbed down from his previous ultimatum that Shiite militias must disarm by Friday. In a new statement, Maliki gave the gunmen until April 8 to turn in their weapons for financial rewards.

At a news conference in Washington Friday, President Bush said that the violence in Basra and other parts of Iraq are "a defining moment in the history of a free Iraq."

He called the Iraqi government's offensive in Basra a reaction to "criminal elements."

Bush said, "Any government that presumes to represent, you know, the majority of people must confront criminal elements, or people who think they can live outside the law. And that's what's taking place in Basra and in other parts of Iraq."

He said that while there have been other defining moments in Iraq's recent history, "the decision to move troops — Iraqi troops — into Basra talks about Prime Minister Maliki's leadership."

Bush said that he talked to the Iraqi prime minister about the decision to act, and asked, "Would he, in representing people who want to live in peace, be willing to use force necessary to bring to justice those who, you know, take advantage of a vacuum, or those who murder the innocent?

"His answer was, 'Yes sir, I will,' " Bush said.

"One of those things that's been well-known is that Basra has been a place where criminality has thrived," Bush added. "You know, it's a port. A lot of goods and services go through there. And . . . from the beginning of liberation, there have been criminal elements that have had a pretty free hand in Basra. And it was just a matter of time before the government was going to have to deal with it."

The death toll in Basra climbed to 120, according to the government health office there, while Sadr's office in Sadr City said 78 people had been killed there.

The level of violence in the Basra dropped on Friday while the Mahdi Army holding on to its strongholds in the area, British military spokesman Maj. Tom Holloway said from Basra. But clashes continued and interrupted Friday prayers at one of the major mosques.

In his sermon, Imam Wasfi al Hareishawai criticized the government for not alerting residents so they could stock up on supplies.

"Iraqi security forces were mistaken to apply the security plan without notifying the citizens to take their precautions because a humanitarian crisis will occur in Basra," he said. "We support a security plan that is enforced upon everyone equally without targeting a specific political trend."

Many Iraqis view the offensive, directed by Maliki and involving forces from the Badr Organization, the military wing of the Shiite Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and a rival of Sadr's movement, as an opportunity to destroy Sadr's forces prior to provincial elections in October.

The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) is the most powerful Shiite party in Iraq, but it trails the Sadr movement in popularity, especially among poorer Shiites. Provincial elections could undercut ISCI's power in the south.

McClatchy Newspapers 2008
 

Mike

Well-known member
Looks like al-Sadr may be wanting to holler "Calf-Rope". :lol:
____________________________________________________

Sadr urges talks to end Iraq crisis


Published: March 28, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Print story Email to a friend Font size:NAJAF, Iraq, March 28 (UPI) -- Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has called for a political solution to the clashes between his Mehdi Army militia and Iraqi government forces.

Hazem al-Araji, an aide to Sadr, said Friday the cleric wants "everyone to pursue political solutions and peaceful protests and a stop to the shedding of Iraqi blood," reported Press TV, a television news channel funded by the Iranian government.

"We ask everyone to adopt the political resolution and peaceful protest. Do not shed Iraqi blood," al-Araji said in a statement.

Iraqi security forces and militias have been fighting in Basra and other southern Iraqi communities since Tuesday. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been in Basra to oversee the operation and has given Shia militiamen until April 8 to disarm.
 

TSR

Well-known member
Mike said:
Looks like al-Sadr may be wanting to holler "Calf-Rope". :lol:
____________________________________________________

Sadr urges talks to end Iraq crisis


Published: March 28, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Print story Email to a friend Font size:NAJAF, Iraq, March 28 (UPI) -- Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has called for a political solution to the clashes between his Mehdi Army militia and Iraqi government forces.

Hazem al-Araji, an aide to Sadr, said Friday the cleric wants "everyone to pursue political solutions and peaceful protests and a stop to the shedding of Iraqi blood," reported Press TV, a television news channel funded by the Iranian government.

"We ask everyone to adopt the political resolution and peaceful protest. Do not shed Iraqi blood," al-Araji said in a statement.

Iraqi security forces and militias have been fighting in Basra and other southern Iraqi communities since Tuesday. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been in Basra to oversee the operation and has given Shia militiamen until April 8 to disarm.

He's probably figured out he can get a lot richer pursuing that approach.
 

Steve

Well-known member
TSR
He's probably figured out he can get a lot richer pursuing that approach.

I am sure that the earning potential of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr alive and talking, is much better then dead pushing up daisies.. :roll: :wink:
 

Texan

Well-known member
fff said:
And do you seriously think they'll turn in anything except obsolete, broken, unneeded guns?
That doesn't seem to stop your liberal Democrat gun-grabbing kommandos from having gun 'buy-back' programs here at home. You're right, ff - it's pretty damn stupid.
 

fff

Well-known member
Mike said:
Looks like al-Sadr may be wanting to holler "Calf-Rope". :lol:
____________________________________________________

Sadr urges talks to end Iraq crisis


Published: March 28, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Print story Email to a friend Font size:NAJAF, Iraq, March 28 (UPI) -- Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has called for a political solution to the clashes between his Mehdi Army militia and Iraqi government forces.

Hazem al-Araji, an aide to Sadr, said Friday the cleric wants "everyone to pursue political solutions and peaceful protests and a stop to the shedding of Iraqi blood," reported Press TV, a television news channel funded by the Iranian government.

"We ask everyone to adopt the political resolution and peaceful protest. Do not shed Iraqi blood," al-Araji said in a statement.

Iraqi security forces and militias have been fighting in Basra and other southern Iraqi communities since Tuesday. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been in Basra to oversee the operation and has given Shia militiamen until April 8 to disarm.

:roll: Of course, Sadar wants to talk. He can't defeat the US military. He knows that. But this was supposed to be the defining moment when the Iraqi government stood up to the militias. After three days or so, even though they outnumber then 3-1, they've screamed "calfrope" and called in the US for support. After billions and billions of our tax dollars, 4,000+ dead troops, thousands of Iraqis run through Iraqi police and army training, the Iraqi military can't defeat just one militia.

But I don't kid myself that it's a definining money. Bush has moved the goal posts time and time again in Iraq. He went from a functioning democracy to just an "elected" government as the basis for success. Does he care that Iraqis don't have any more electricity than they did under Saddam? Or that the hospitals are in worse shape than under Saddam? Or that fewer Iraqis have clean water than under Saddam? I doubt it. And John McCain buys right into it. Keep us in Iraq a 100 years is fine with Big John, the straight talker, stem cell research supporter, global warming believer, immigration reform author, etc, McCain. :lol:
 

Texan

Well-known member
fff said:
Keep us in Iraq a 100 years is fine with Big John...
You left out this part that "Big John" said:

"....as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed."

I'm sure it was just an oversight on your part. :lol:
 

fff

Well-known member
Texan said:
fff said:
Keep us in Iraq a 100 years is fine with Big John...
You left out this part that "Big John" said:

"....as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed."

I'm sure it was just an oversight on your part. :lol:

Not an oversight. He's on record as supporting the invasion of Iraq over the last seven years. There are plenty of video clips where he's supported the Iraqi war completely, only complaining about how it's been waged. You can bet your bottom dollar those will be showing up on UTube and our TV screens during the campaign. :D
 

Texan

Well-known member
fff said:
There are plenty of video clips where he's supported the Iraqi war completely, only complaining about how it's been waged. You can bet your bottom dollar those will be showing up on UTube and our TV screens during the campaign. :D

I've got a real slow dialup connection, so I don't get to look at videos. Is this one of them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS9y5t0tR0
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
In Washington, CIA Director Michael Hayden told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that about 70 percent of Basra was under the control of "criminal elements" when the assault was launched. Though the increase in violence was disappointing, he said, the government assault "was something that we all knew we had to go through."

"This was inevitable. This had to be resolved. You just can't have the second major city in the country -- economically, the most important city in the country -- beyond the control of the government," Hayden said.

Top U.S. officials, including President Bush, have praised al-Maliki's operation as a sign of a strengthening Iraqi government. But Hayden and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said the Iraqis did not consult them before launching their offensive.

"We'll see how well the Iraqi army fought. We'll see how well it was planned and executed. And we may find that the Iraqi army did not do a very good job of planning and executing this effort," Graham, a Senate colleague and close ally of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, told "Fox News Sunday."

The reports coming out of Iraq now are that Sadr and the Shites are the winners- and that if Sadr can pull off this cease fire again he will consolidate a whole lot more Shite power behind him.....

He got the curfew lifted- will get amnesty for all his backers- and got the Iraqi Government (Maliki) to agree to go ahead with new local and Provincial elections, which they have been stalling because the Maliki appointees- which are very unpopular- will probably be defeated in any true election....

Won't end til they have a massive civil/tribal war and they sort out which tribe rules what...Looks like as for now the Sadr Shites may control the south....
 
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