Mahdi Army makes a final push to control southwest Baghdad

McClatchy Newspapers ^ | June 9 2007 | Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy

[ASC2006]

In the past 10 days, the fiery Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia has resurfaced in force, making a push to roust Sunnis from Baghdad and to isolate Sunni enclaves in the west of the capital from their brethren in the south.

Mahdi Army militiamen in the Shiite dominated neighborhood of Bayaa were reinforced by other Shiite fighters and men in civilian clothes with weapons have cordoned off the area. In the past 10 days Mahdi Army activity has escalated, intensifying in the past two days with the capture of two Sunni mosques, residents and police said.

The push appears to be part of a strategy by the Mahdi Army to control swaths of the once Sunni-dominated west bank of the Tigris River.

Two Sunni men reached by phone had fled Bayaa in the last five days because of the rising violence. Neither of the men would give their names or new places of residence for fear of retribution.

Five days ago one of the Sunni men was warned by his Shiite neighbors and friends. "The Mahdi Army is asking about you, they are watching you," he was told. So he packed up his things, his family and left.

Last week his cousin was dragged from his car at a Mahdi Army checkpoint and shot.

"The army is fighting along side the Mahdi Army," he said. "We cannot trust a security plan that doesn't protect the people. . . . They come to you as a state of government with power. . . . If you defend yourself, the interior commandoes will arrest you as a terrorist the next day."

Two Shiite men in Bayaa also described an escalation of violence but were happy to see the Mahdi Army return to protect them, they said.

[bnelson44]

OK, now how does Leila Fadel, Sahar Issa and Mohammed al Dulaimy know it is a “final push”?

[vbmoneyspender]

Are you jmc1969 by another name?

[Fred]

"Last week his cousin was dragged from his car at a Mahdi Army checkpoint and shot."

The Iraqi army is doing this together with Al Sadr's butchers????

[LdSentinal]

They don’t. It’s another negative Iraq story from McLatchy and their junk bond newspaper.

[bnelson44]

NEVER take anything published by McClatchy Newspapers at face value. NEVER..

[ASC2006]

I don’t trust what any of McClatchy’s “anonymous” sources say.

But, it is important that the article be posted regardless.

[Perdogg]

I think the time to send Mouqi to his 72 virgins is long over due.

[ASC2006]

That is true regardless of if such a push is going on.

Ususally articles like this are either the reporter blowing up small scale events going on in a mixed part of Baghdad or outright lies. But, it is still important that the Madhi Army is elimited.

[ASC2006]

eliminated.

[ASC2006]

One of the few things that could really derail the Baghdad security plan (and helped greatly to derail last years Baghdad security plan) was a strong Madhi Army attack during the summer on the Sunnis, which would get them to stop fighting al-Qaeda.

Iran would love to see just such an attack happen and just might order up such an attack. The US military is I am sure watching out like hawks for this.

[Tarpon]

MsClatchey newspaper, Iraqi reporters, nuff said.

[mdittmar]

What happened to ole’ jmc1969?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Agreed. Take this SOB out with extreme prejudice!

[vbmoneyspender]

I guess he got banned. But now I think he’s been resurrected under another handle.

[elhombrelibre]

Ping.

[bnelson44]

I have been meaning to thank you for the pings!

[elhombrelibre]

You bet. The good thing about them is you can go away and catch up when you come back.

[AmericanExceptionalist]

On Friday, the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida dominated insurgent group, issued a statement on the internet calling on the Sunnis to fight against Shiite militia.

What a conundrum: to pull for the Mahdi terrorists or the "al-Qaida dominated insurgent group" opposing them.

Is there a "None of the above" box available for checking?

[jveritas]

I do not think that the Mahdi terrorists army is as visible as this article makes it to be. Since the Surge began they went into hiding and now this article is saying they are on the offensive against the Sunnis in Baghdad and with the help of the Iraqi Army. We shall see anyway, we will know in few days how true this article is.

As we have been discussing the most important thing going in Iraq now is the Sunni rebellion against Al Qaeda terrorists which means the end of Al Qaeda within six month and hence a total victory for the US in this war.

[jveritas]

ASC2006 is one of the best freepers who keeps constantly updating us on the news coming from Iraq in particular the great news about the Sunnis joining the US to annihilate Al Qaeda, which means the US Victory in this war. Please do not accuse him that he is a retread.

Also jmc1969 was a great freeper and I am sad that he was banned.

[elhombrelibre]

It could be that Iran has ordered the Mahdi army to step up its activities to take the pressure off of al Qaeda. They’re playing both sides for their own interests in Iraq just as they’re aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan even though they were once enemies. The Mahdi army laid low for some time, and my thinking is that was their way of living to fight another day. Regardless, they’ll be destroyed too, and I’m not so sure the Shia will tolerate them for long either. Like the Sunnis who’ve turned on al Qaeda, the Shia must be getting sick of this type of nihilistic fighting that the Mahdi army represents with its hidden agenda of helping Iran.

[jveritas]

Very possible FRiend, and I think we have the final solution for the Mahdi terrorist milia. I am sure that the US commanders in Iraq are very aware of what Iran and the Mahid terrorist militia have been planning and ready to strike back very hard if they are going to stop the excellent progress in the Surge..

[jedward]

Smoke ‘em out and pick ‘em off! Yowdy jv!

[jveritas]

Hi jed.

[vbmoneyspender]

jmc1969 was a tool who was more than willing to run down the war just because the Sunnis he favored weren’t being treated the way he wanted them to.

[jveritas]

Did you ask the mods to ban ASC2006?!

[REDWOOD99]

Guess you were right!

[jveritas]

I disagreed with jmc1969 on this approach but I think he was not running down the war.

Also, please understand that we are on the brink of a total victory in Iraq because very recently the Sunnis have started their rebellion against Al Qaeda terrorists which means that Al Qaeda lost its main line of defense which "was" the protection and support by the Sunnis, and this means that Al Qaeda has no protection now and our troops are quickly annihilating them.

[jedward]

Howdy! Having good tonight, and you?

[jveritas]

I am very disappointed that freeper ASC2006 was just banned, he was a very good freeper.

[jedward]

Yeah, what did I miss!

[jedward]

On what grounds? Which post?

[jveritas]

I think some body just reported “ASC2006” to the mods as a retread “jmc1969” and hence he was banned.

[vbmoneyspender]

Did you ask the mods to ban ASC2006?!

Absolutely not. I've never asked them to ban anyone. With due respect to the people who run this site, I strongly disagree with that approach. I would rather debate someone like this than ban them, particularly since they have a viewpoint which (however wrong I think it is) echoes the viewpoint of many others on this site.

[jedward]

I gotta watch who I hang out with. That’s like 2 nights in a row, someone on a thread I was on gets banned/suspended (lol)

[jveritas]

Thank you, and I am glad that you did not do it.

[pissant]

WHy was jmc1969 banned?

[vbmoneyspender]

I don’t know.

[pissant]

Do you know why?

[jedward]

“I strongly disagree with that approach”

I kinda sorta feel the same way...basically. Of course I understand the inability for some to know when to come out of the rain, so they might need a little help, generally speaking a person should simply lose a debate in such a way that they no longer feel like debating the point.

[pissant]

Well, he posted the good with the bad, but I never thought he was a troll. Some strong opinions, as most here have.

[jveritas]

I have no idea pissant why “jmc1969” was banned. I was very surprised and disappointed when I knew about his ban when I searched for his name over a month ago and he was gone. Now I am very disappointed that freeper “ASC2006” just got banned.

[jedward]

And no-one can figure out why?

[pissant]

Musta been a Rudy guy?

[pissant]

Can you tell us why ASC2006 and/or jmc1969 got the boot?

[jedward]

This is weird...it’s like waiting for an autopsy report...

[Obie Wan]

Well ask Jim Robinson,it’s his site.Hey Jim why did jmc 1969 and ASC2006 get banned ???

[jveritas]

He may be a Rudy Guy which may got him banned but he usually avoided these type of political threads and focused mostly on the war threads.

PS: I strongly disagree with the banning of the Giuliani supporters on FR, we lost some good folks because of this.

[pissant]

I never say jmc post outside the topic of military and foreign affairs.

Many of them (not all) were asking for it. They were flaming libs and hated staunch conservative positions. Just go to that neverending thread and check out Katie O’s opus for a prime example. Yet she pretended she was a conservative for a long time. You have to keep in mind a couple of things: THis is a conservative, not a GOP website. ANd Jim does not want his site used to promote a liberal republican. He warned them a month before the bannings that it would get uncomfortable for them if they kept it up. Still, some good folks got caught up in it.