Now the coalition forces can get back to the businesses of securing and rebuilding Iraq and hunting down foreign infiltrators.
…
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and a council of Iraqi clerics have agreed on a truce to end fighting in three contested cities between his militia and the US-led coalition, US officials said.
“They appear to have peacefully resolved the situation in Najaf, Kufa and Karbala,” a senior US official said.
“This is a significant achievement.”
A second US official said the ceasefire agreement “resulted from the efforts of the Shia clergy to convince Sadr to stop the fighting.”
The agreement was reached late Wednesday in Iraq (news - web sites), and details of the plan would be announced Thursday in Baghdad, the official said.
The first official said the deal would stop the violence by Sadr’s large and disruptive private militia, halt their attacks on US troops, and end their presence in government buildings in the three cities.
The agreement also appears to make provisions for the disposition of some members of Sadr’s private Mehdi Army, who were allegedly connected to the killing of a rival cleric last year.
Moqtada's boys are gettin' their arses kicked and Moqtada is seeking peace before he becomes embarrassed..... They have lost what, a couple of hundred fighters this week? Could Moqtada have over played his cards?
[QUOTE] Originally posted by underthedome: *
Now the coalition forces can get back to the businesses of **securing and rebuilding* Iraq and hunting down foreign infiltrators.
[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry but in light of current events, how can you even say that with a straight face. I have a couple of alternatives for the highlighted words, unfortunately though none of them have a positive ring to them.
The US troops conditionally kicked his arse, which is not that difficult given the fact that the Shia were seldom given important roles in Saddams army. Unlike Fallujah, where the professional soldiers put up a fight.
The real good news is that the coalition did not negociate, the solution was an iraqi one negociated by the governing council and other Shia leaders. That is is good road map forward. If this was Sadrs' big play, it has been a modest one. No mass rebellion, and the militias behaved like thugs in the areas where they were in control. The people of those towns have gotten a tase of what life would be like with them in charge.
Now answer me this. What kind of "cleric" keeps a militia? If Pat Roberson or some Hindu, or some Catholic raised a militia, what would the world think? Sadr is just a warlord with a religious name. Undoubtedly some guppies like the idea of someone rebelling against the "oppressors", but no one can really argue that Sadr is good for Iraqis.
Some 215 US/Coalition soldiers have been killed since the beginning of April when the Fallujah and Sadr uprisings began, and the US had to negotatiate with these people as well. They were unconditionally kicked out by the Fallujah resistance :k:, and now they will have to get out of Najaf as well, if they want Sadr to do the same. From one end of Iraq to the other the US soldiers are receiving a bloody nose, and being forced to talk to those “insurgents”.
Much like the TET offensive in Vietnam, there is a political vicory and there is a military vicory. Do you really believe that Fallujah is over? Do you really believe that Sadr is negociating from a position of strength? Citing US casualties is impressive to you perhaps, but the insurrection has advanced no further than it was a month ago, with it fizzling out in lots of areas.
You guys live for a bloody nose or two, while ignoring the big picture.
now they will have to get out of Najaf as well, if they want Sadr to do the same.
[/QUOTE]
Malik, this is exactly what the U.S. wants. The U.S. will continue its patrol of the city until the Iraqi police take over, did you actually buy into the stories that the U.S. wants to takeover Iraq?
You guys live for a bloody nose or two, while ignoring the big picture.
[/QUOTE]
The big picture is that the Iraqi resistance gave a bloody nose to the invaders in falujjah and they beat a hasty retreat from there, handing over power to those very generals from whom they claim to have "liberated" the Iraqi people.
Man, I love the Neo-con zionist spin. More than two hundred US soldiers killed in the past two months at the hands of the victorious resistance, the yanks get none of their demands met, are forced to negoatiate with those “insurgents”, and we are told that is exactly what they wanted in the first place.
This is like the third time sadr has made the same offer, and US categorically refused to comply with the demands. Yet this time it seems the US has given in and agreed. Trust OG here to put his usual spin on it.
‘U.S. demands in Falluja for heavy weapons and foreign fighters to be turned over have yet to be met. But so far it seems a price U.S. commanders are prepared to pay for peace.’
‘But earlier, the U.S. commander in the region, Major General Martin Dempsey said that his forces were prepared to hand over security in Najaf to a locally raised security force that could include members of Sadr’s Mehdi Army.’
‘Last month, U.S. officials vowed to kill or capture him. But they have recently backed away from that demand, preferring to stress they would support a solution worked out by Iraqis.’
still the question remains, once they’ve pulled out, will they carry on fighting somewhere else? The pull out is mainly due to the anger over the damaged shrines. I’m not reading anything about any peace deals.
All the Neo-cons/Zionists do is spin and spin, when the ground facts are different. Remember how they tried to spin the defeat in Vietnam as “peace with honour” :hehe: - the same is the case in Falluja and Najaf. But one really enjoys them spinning all over.
Nice to see the yanks turning over Najaf to a “locally raised security force that could include members of Sadr’s Mehdi Army”. :k:
Let's summarize. Insurgents are nowhere to be found in Karbala. Kufa is in coalition control. Najaf is bargaining. Over 50 "insurgents killed just yesterday, and hundreds over the past few weeks. Key Sadr aides in custody.
Spin? Other than malik chronically posting body counts, it is hard to see a victory in any regard for Sadr. What he had hoped to gain is a mass uprising, and instead he has incurred the anger of the shop keepers who depend on tourists for their economy. Despite what you may read, these people have experienced Sadrs thugs first hand, and while they will rail against the US, they are certainly not going to be looking to Sadr for future leadership.
The only thing that Sadr has gained is a following among the poor and disaffected (and a bunch of guppies), but unless he can bring them jobs, electricity and security, he will fail. (unless he is the next Arafat, and he leads them into an unrelenting hell).
'But earlier, the U.S. commander in the region, Major General Martin Dempsey said that his forces were prepared to hand over security in Najaf to a locally raised security force that could include members of Sadr's Mehdi Army.'
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Ohioguy: *
... and the militias behaved like thugs in the areas where they were in control. The people of those towns have gotten a tase of what life would be like with them in charge.
[/QUOTE]
Edit: OG: sadr's men neednt have rised up if their newpaper hadnt been shut down. Nor 20 people killed in the 'unarmed' protest against the newpaper shutting down. Truth is, it was the coalition that gave fuel for the militia to grow and now they're just reaping what they sowed. Back then sadr was a nobody. Today he is a hero with supporters around the world and you can thank the GIs for that.
The yanks start bombing Falluja and Najaf etc making one demand after another (none of which are met), get hundreds of their soldiers killed (plus thousands injured), and then hand over control to local forces composed of people they have declared as “insurgents”. Then comes the spin…
"OG: sadr's men needn't have rised up if their newpaper hadnt been shut down."
Name me one country in the world that allows the press to advocate armed insurrection. Do you think that this militia just sprung up? The closure of the paper was the triggering event, but Sadr wanted and excuse for a power grab and he got it. The first few weeks went well for him, but lately he is losing a lot of people. Don't think that Sadr did not want to set up his credentials as an anti-coalition leader for some time. The image of a rebel carries a lot of weight in the Arab world, even if it brings no good to the people. The illusion of power and control that comes with rebellion appeals to the macho and disenfrachised, yet it never leads to anything good.
Other than Qaddafi sheding his bad boy image, very few rebels have actually grown up and amounted to much.
