The Game Is Afoot: Al-Sadr's Militia Is In The Crosshairs
Or so the the report from Reuters states:
U.S.-led forces are likely to launch a limited New Year offensive against Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, blamed for sectarian death squad killings, senior Iraqi officials say.
The Pentagon, in a report last month, described Mehdi Army militias as the biggest threat to Iraq's security and diplomats say Washington is impatient to confront them.
Several officials in the Shi'ite political parties that dominate Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's unity government also say they are losing patience with Sadr's supporters and predict more raids like last week's joint U.S.-Iraqi operation in which a senior Sadr aide was killed.
This is the moment we have been waiting for. Iraq cannot be a fully-functioning, independent nation with this bloody militia running around causing problems. It must go, and hopefully al-Sadr goes with it. Allah @ Hot Air points out that al-Maliki has had a boost from the execution of Saddam Hussein, and has some "political capital" he can spend. Let us hope he spends it smartly in dealing with al-Sadr.
He must realize at this point that al-Sadr is far more dangerous than he may have initially believed, and as along as he is running the show with his Mahdi Army, Iraq will never be stable. Additionally, our troops recently took two Iranians into custody that seemed to be making an IED deal with elements of of the insurgency in Iraq. Despite overtures from the Iraqis, the US commanders have refused to release either individual. (This came from a FOX News report over the radio early this afternoon; I have yet to find a link for the story.)
We have thrown down the gauntlet, and not just to al-Sadr, but to al-Maliki as well. He must understand that we cannot leave until his country is secure, and his military is prepared to take over all aspects of internal and external security. We will not abandon them, but we will not wait indefinitely and patiently. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the president wants the troops home as much as the troops would like to be home. This move, we believe, will be the final stage for securing the country from the militias, and making it clear that the government is in charge of Iraq, not the terrorists and not al-Sadr's goons.
Marcie
Or so the the report from Reuters states:
U.S.-led forces are likely to launch a limited New Year offensive against Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, blamed for sectarian death squad killings, senior Iraqi officials say.
The Pentagon, in a report last month, described Mehdi Army militias as the biggest threat to Iraq's security and diplomats say Washington is impatient to confront them.
Several officials in the Shi'ite political parties that dominate Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's unity government also say they are losing patience with Sadr's supporters and predict more raids like last week's joint U.S.-Iraqi operation in which a senior Sadr aide was killed.
This is the moment we have been waiting for. Iraq cannot be a fully-functioning, independent nation with this bloody militia running around causing problems. It must go, and hopefully al-Sadr goes with it. Allah @ Hot Air points out that al-Maliki has had a boost from the execution of Saddam Hussein, and has some "political capital" he can spend. Let us hope he spends it smartly in dealing with al-Sadr.
He must realize at this point that al-Sadr is far more dangerous than he may have initially believed, and as along as he is running the show with his Mahdi Army, Iraq will never be stable. Additionally, our troops recently took two Iranians into custody that seemed to be making an IED deal with elements of of the insurgency in Iraq. Despite overtures from the Iraqis, the US commanders have refused to release either individual. (This came from a FOX News report over the radio early this afternoon; I have yet to find a link for the story.)
We have thrown down the gauntlet, and not just to al-Sadr, but to al-Maliki as well. He must understand that we cannot leave until his country is secure, and his military is prepared to take over all aspects of internal and external security. We will not abandon them, but we will not wait indefinitely and patiently. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the president wants the troops home as much as the troops would like to be home. This move, we believe, will be the final stage for securing the country from the militias, and making it clear that the government is in charge of Iraq, not the terrorists and not al-Sadr's goons.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 4:54 PM
1 Comments:
Al-Sadr and his thug terrorist army should have been neutralized a long time. Rawriter
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