Posted on 09/24/2005 11:33:23 PM PDT by HAL9000
BAGHDAD, Sep 25 (Reuters) - U.S. troops clashed with militia fighters loyal to a rebellious Shi'ite Muslim cleric in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing eight militiamen and wounding five, Iraqi police said.They said U.S. forces entered the poor Shi'ite district of Sadr City seeking to detain a group of militia members suspected of carrying out guerrilla attacks.
The militia, known as the Mehdi Army, is loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr, a young radical cleric whose followers have led two uprisings against U.S. forces.
The U.S. military said it had engaged what it termed anti-Iraqi forces in several locations in the east of the capital for around 1-1/2 hours.
"There were some anti-Iraqi forces killed," a military spokesman said, but gave no details on numbers. He said no U.S. forces were killed or wounded. No militiamen were detained.
British forces say the Mehdi Army was connected to the detention of two British soldiers in the southern city of Basra last week. British troops freed the two using armoured vehicles.
Sadr has a strong following in Baghdad, Basra and other southern cities. Representatives of Sadr's movement could not be reached immediately for comment on the Baghdad clashes.
Why is this guy still walking around?
Can't someone drop a mortor round on him? Please?
This guy is probably personally responsibile of 50 dead US troops.
Why is that fatboy Sadr still alive?
I think the plan is to get the new Iraq constitution ratified - it prohibits organizations like the Sadr militia - then deal with him.
assasinate Chavez and Sader and a whole bunch more islamo leftist scum
I guess making a martyr out of him could be prooven counterproductive...
From the example of Saddam's capture, out of the high expectations, not much materialised...
And Saddam only had few hard core dead-ender followers.
Sadr has about a million Shiits...
MOST ( I mean 99% ) only sits on the wall.
1% making mess.
Would you take the risk to turn the 99% against the US?
Yes, I would.
These people respect power. They always have.
We've been weak by letting him repeatedly kill our people without consequences.
I should add that that weakness has embolden our enemies to attack and kill our people because they think they can get away with it. And for the most part they have. Take out al-Sadr and see who the next Mullah is willing to take his place.
If you want to take up arms against our troops you should die.
THE 50/50 SOLUTION
I'd kill 50 percent of them and see if the rest wanted to die too. If you want to talk percentages, 100 percent of the worlds 1.2 BILLION moslems have failed to issue a fatwah of death against Moqtada al-Sadr. Or Osama for that matter. Oh they will issue fatwas against terror and indiscriminate killing but to come right out and state : There is a death sentence on Osama Bin Ladin - that ain't been seen yet.
Of course these two didn't write a book. Mr Rushdie did and he recieved a fatwah of death. So that must be it. .....
1990: Iranian leader upholds Rushdie fatwa
Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said the death sentence on writer Salman Rushdie for alleged blasphemy will remain in force.
He rejected the author's repentance and recent decision not to publish a paperback edition of the novel The Satanic Verses which was deemed offensive to the Islamic faith.
Tehran Radio quoted Ayatollah Khameini as saying the decree by his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini "remains unchanged even if he repents and becomes the most pious man of his time".
religion of peace, Mr. Bush?
The usual bloody-minded nonsense from the nuke-em-all crowd. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.
Without the majority of Iraq's people (Shiites) on your side, all your efforts in Iraq will come to naught. You can't seriously expect they'll remain your allies if you kill them indiscriminately?
Maybe your screen name should be, "mollycoddler?"
And you're talking bollocks too! I've seen your name on many threads with the same stuff.
What's with this religion of peace crap? Moslems are no more or less peaceful than Christians are.
I can't remember any apologies from American Christians or their churches for the things done by both Catholic and Protestant terrorists in Ulster.
Maybe you should apologize to Americans for having to save your arse twice in the last century?
Whatever. I think the screen name "insane but somehow pathetic military fetishist" would fit a good number of you.
Hah! I knew that would come up pretty quickly as soon as the US gets criticised!
A very valid argument, except for the fact that it's totally incorrect. Try another tack.
How about "EuroTwit?" That seems to fit you.
Really? If it wouldn't have been for the Yanks, you wouldn't have had to go to Germany to learn to speak German.
Where do you get this stuff from? Hilarious.
You Americans always come in late when the war's nearly fought out and then claim the credit. Once is OK, twice is annoying.
I see "Eurotwit" is already taken. Might want to try "Ahole."
We wouldn't have come in had you been able to handle it.
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