Moqtada al-Sadr Hints at Deal

[conjur]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1107073.htm

The young Iraqi cleric leading a month-old Shiite uprising against US occupation says he is prepared to disband his militia army.

However, with a now familiar ambivalence, Moqtada al-Sadr also told a rare news conference at Islam's holiest Shiite shrine he still opposes a US-led occupation he likens to the tyrannical rule of Saddam Hussein.

It was hard to separate face-saving bravado from hard bargaining during the young firebrand's first personal comment on talks in the holy city of Najaf.

Under mounting pressure from rivals in the Shiite establishment and from US forces on the ground, his aides had already pencilled in their agreement to a deal that could end the insurgency.

Just as threats of widespread insurrection on two fronts appeared to be fading, however, the beheading of an American hostage in supposed reprisal for abuses by US soldiers injected new venom into Washington's project in Iraq.

American civilian Nick Berg, 26, may have been killed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, according to a video showing Mr Berg's last moments.

It increased fears for other hostages, including US soldier Keith Maupin.

Fresh fighting with Sadr's Mehdi Army militia in the holy city of Kerbala on Wednesday left at least 20 guerrillas dead, the US military said.

After a night and morning of fighting, young men loyal to Sadr were holed up in a mosque and surrounded by US tanks.

There were also scattered skirmishes elsewhere.

Sadr's chief lieutenant in Najaf reached an agreement in principle with the main Shiite parties late on Tuesday that could see his fighters absorbed into a broader Iraqi force to take over security while US troops pulled out of cities.

Same tone, new context

"The dissolution of the Mehdi Army depends on the religious authorities. If they issue an edict to disband the Mehdi Army then we will disband it," Sadr told the news conference called at Najaf's Imam Ali shrine.

Seizing on the abuse scandal and foreign Al Qaeda militants in Iraq, he lashed out at Americans.

"Their presence in Iraq is not peace and will lead to the spread of terrorism," he said.

"Look at what your army has done at the behest of its leaders - torture of all kinds.

"Are those who came to remove Saddam becoming just the same as Saddam?"

Sadr has made similar offers of deals before, conditional on a US withdrawal.

However circumstances have moved sharply against him, with local people in Najaf exasperated at the economic consequences of the standoff with US troops and Shiite elders growing angrier at the young man's ambitions.

-- Reuters

 

[CWRMadcat]

Originally posted by: conjur
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1107073.htm

The young Iraqi cleric leading a month-old Shiite uprising against US occupation says he is prepared to disband his militia army.

However, with a now familiar ambivalence, Moqtada al-Sadr also told a rare news conference at Islam's holiest Shiite shrine he still opposes a US-led occupation he likens to the tyrannical rule of Saddam Hussein.

It was hard to separate face-saving bravado from hard bargaining during the young firebrand's first personal comment on talks in the holy city of Najaf.

Under mounting pressure from rivals in the Shiite establishment and from US forces on the ground, his aides had already pencilled in their agreement to a deal that could end the insurgency.

Just as threats of widespread insurrection on two fronts appeared to be fading, however, the beheading of an American hostage in supposed reprisal for abuses by US soldiers injected new venom into Washington's project in Iraq.

American civilian Nick Berg, 26, may have been killed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, according to a video showing Mr Berg's last moments.

It increased fears for other hostages, including US soldier Keith Maupin.

Fresh fighting with Sadr's Mehdi Army militia in the holy city of Kerbala on Wednesday left at least 20 guerrillas dead, the US military said.

After a night and morning of fighting, young men loyal to Sadr were holed up in a mosque and surrounded by US tanks.

There were also scattered skirmishes elsewhere.

Sadr's chief lieutenant in Najaf reached an agreement in principle with the main Shiite parties late on Tuesday that could see his fighters absorbed into a broader Iraqi force to take over security while US troops pulled out of cities.

Same tone, new context

"The dissolution of the Mehdi Army depends on the religious authorities. If they issue an edict to disband the Mehdi Army then we will disband it," Sadr told the news conference called at Najaf's Imam Ali shrine.

Seizing on the abuse scandal and foreign Al Qaeda militants in Iraq, he lashed out at Americans.

"Their presence in Iraq is not peace and will lead to the spread of terrorism," he said.

"Look at what your army has done at the behest of its leaders - torture of all kinds.

"Are those who came to remove Saddam becoming just the same as Saddam?"

Sadr has made similar offers of deals before, conditional on a US withdrawal.

However circumstances have moved sharply against him, with local people in Najaf exasperated at the economic consequences of the standoff with US troops and Shiite elders growing angrier at the young man's ambitions.

-- Reuters

Looks like al-Sadr's attempts to seize some kind of power are starting to backfire on him.

 

[spaceman]

heres a deal.How about someone chops his goddamn head off and drinks hot cocoa from it.

 

[arsbanned]

I dunno, it'd be all gooey and stuff.

 

[Genx87]

I think the only deal we can make with him is to turn himself in and face the charges that an Iraqi judge issued against him. If he doesnt do that then we will continue to massacare his militia to the tune of 40:1

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: ncircle
heres a deal.How about someone chops his goddamn head off and drinks hot cocoa from it.

Aren't you banned yet?

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: ncircle
heres a deal.How about someone chops his goddamn head off and drinks hot cocoa from it.

Aren't you banned yet?

how about you conjur?

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I think the only deal we can make with him is to turn himself in and face the charges that an Iraqi judge issued against him. If he doesnt do that then we will continue to massacare his militia to the tune of 40:1

Nice to see a reasonable opinion.

 

[GoPackGo]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: Genx87
I think the only deal we can make with him is to turn himself in and face the charges that an Iraqi judge issued against him. If he doesnt do that then we will continue to massacare his militia to the tune of 40:1

Nice to see a reasonable opinion.

I think al Sadr should turn himself in and face Iraqi justice.

Perhaps though he is learning his "militia" cant win a stand-up fight against the US

 

[CaptnKirk]

O.K. Sadr, do you want to trade everything you have in your Mosque
and turn over your Milita to the Marines - and take what's behind curtain Number 1 -
which is a years vacation in Abu Ghraib incarceration,
or would you like to play another round ?

Now if perchance you do make it to the next round, at that time you will again
be offered the chance to turn over your Mosque and Militia, but the choice will
be either Box Number 2 - which is full of armed Special Forces Rangers -
or what's behind Curtain Number 2, which sould be the mysterious WMD, or
a CIA agent with a bullwhip and a seltzer bottle filled with contact Poison.

Stay tuned for another exciting episode of 'Let's Make a Deal' !

He's Going to Play Another Round !

 

[EagleKeeper]

The guy realizes that the rules of engagement may change that were protecting him.

He feels the need to save his skin and face before it is to late.

By having forces loyal to him in the new security force, he can then recontrol areas once the allied troops pull out of the country

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk

He's Going to Play Another Round !

The gloves are coming off

 

[conjur]

Guess he's not:

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=4930462

 

[kage69]

That's funny, the 'religious leaders' didn't hold any sway with him before he pulled this crap. What a douche - he's out to make a name for himself, nothing more. How other Iraqis can follow him is beyond me. If he is such a pious cleric of a religion that preaches peace, you'd think he wouldn't be the one inciting urban warfare or wouldn't resort to using a machete to silence rivals. He's a cowardly false prophet preying on the fears and desires of common Iraqis; the sooner he's in a hole the better for all.