Posted on 08/06/2004 1:22:37 PM PDT by saquin
BAGHDAD (AFP) - More than 1,200 militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr surrendered following fierce clashes with US and Iraqi forces in Najaf, the police general directorate said.
"Over 1,200 criminals have surrendered to Iraqi forces," it said in a statement, adding that the holy city of Najaf had been "secured."
It said most of the captured militiamen were criminals who were released from Iraqi prisons by ousted president Saddam Hussein before last year's US-led invasion.
The statement accused Sadr's Mehdi Army of wanting to "destablise the country," and vowed "this operation will continue until this illegal and cruel violence has been quelled."
No one in Sadr's Najaf office was immediately available for comment on the statement.
The US military said Friday that 300 militiamen were killed in Najaf since Thursday's fighting, while the province's coalition-appointed governor Adnan al-Zorfi said the number was as high as 400.
The military said also three US soldiers were killed and 12 wounded.
But Sadr's spokesman Sheikh Ahmed al-Shaibani said only nine militiamen were killed in fighting and 20 wounded.
I'll chew some gum and wait for further confirmation.
Plus the 300 other terrorists that we killed off.
Not a bad day..1500 in the bag.
Send these 1200 terrorists into the gas chamber.
I agree. We need to sit on this a few days
Great news if true.
Do we have enough panties to cover that many prisoners?
Looks like I am correct in my interpretation of events.
300 dead, 1200 surrendered. If only John Kerry were President... HE would fight a better war against terrorism!
they ought to get Rumsfeld to a press conference to talk this up. we need some positive stories today.
You've been dead too long.
Check this thread.....
Wow! If this is true, there has been some serious butt-kicking in the last few days.
Sounds like it time for a great big necktie party.
It said most of the captured militiamen were criminals who were released from Iraqi prisons by ousted president Saddam Hussein before last year's US-led invasion.
This is just one of the lines that has that fishy essence.
How did they identify and check the background on 1,200 men in the last hour?
Maybe they have super efficient computers, hooked up to massive criminal databases which are accessed instaneously via retinal scans. But I doubt it.
Bush is so insensitive.
What do you do with 1,200 terrorists ?
I doubt the prison 'system' in Iraq can absorb them...
Absolutely fantastic. I don't think this will be like the Palestinian Authority revolving prison door policy.
YES! This is what i love to see. Let the Iraqi forces fight them on the ground and let's bomb the radicals once they're surrounded. I kind of wish the fighting could continue so we could root out more of these bastards.
That's where Walmart comes in handy.
My guess is they released them.
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