Iraq's Maliki says will fight militia "to the end" ( Showdown in Basra)

Reuters ^ | Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:23am EDT | Aref Mohammed

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's U.S.-backed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed on Thursday security forces would battle Shi'ite militia in Basra "to the end" despite thousands of protesters marching to demand his resignation.

Mehdi Army fighters loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remained in control of streets of Basra, Iraq's second biggest city and main oil hub, defying a three-day government offensive that has led to violence spreading across the south and Baghdad.

Saboteurs blew up one of Iraq's two main oil export pipelines from Basra, cutting at least a third of the exports from the city which provides 80 percent of government revenue.

It was the first time since 2004 that the southern supply route had been disrupted, and U.S. oil prices briefly rose more than $1 a barrel after the blast.

Maliki, who has traveled to Basra to oversee the crackdown, told tribal leaders it was sending "a message to all gangs that the state is in charge of the country."

"We entered this battle with determination and we will continue to the end. No retreat. No talks. No negotiations."

More than 130 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since the government launched its operation on Tuesday, exposing deep divisions between powerful factions within Iraq's majority Shi'ite community.

The clashes have all but wrecked a truce declared last August by Sadr, which Washington had said helped curb violence. 

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Some news...

[PreciousLiberty]

Wow! Things are sounding VERY encouraging for the future of Iraq. It seems a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Iraq is almost in sight... My respect for Maliki has also increased quite a bit.

[Seruzawa]

Bushbot spinning begins in 3.... 2.... 1....

[RightWhale]

The cease fire is in more danger every day.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

"We entered this battle with determination and we will continue to the end. No retreat. No talks. No negotiations."

Now that's the way to deal with the gangs!

[ex-NFO]

There frequently seems to be a difference between what they say, and what they actually do, however. Grandiose “until the end” statements seem to come out all the time. Let’s actually see how committed he is to carrying it out.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Ceasefire is over....see #6!

[SueRae]

Sadr was forced to declare a truce last summer when he was getting his butt kicked! The article makes it sound like it was his idea.

I hope we will be reading that this Iranian backed crumb has left the building. Soon.

Good luck to the Iraqi soldiers fighting for a free Iraq. And Godspeed our men and women who made it possible.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

More....

Sadr's backers protest Iraqi crackdown on militia

***************************EXCERPTS*************************

Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest in Baghdad's Sadr City on Thursday. (Kareem Raheem/Reuters)

BAGHDAD: Thousands of supporters of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr marched in Baghdad on Thursday to protest against a three-day-old crackdown against his followers and to call for the downfall of the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.

There were demonstrations in the districts of Sadr City, Kadhimiya and Shula. An Interior Ministry source said hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets.

"We demand the downfall of the Maliki government," said a Sadr City resident, Hussein Abu Ali. "It does not represent the people. It represents Bush and Cheney."

The authorities had imposed curfews across southern Iraq in an effort to halt the spread of violence after the largest military offensive carried out by Iraqi forces without major support from U.S. or British combat units.

More than 100 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since the government began its crackdown in the southern city of Basra on Tuesday. Clashes have split Iraq's majority Shiites and shattered a cease-fire declared by Sadr last year.

[RightWhale]

Nonsense. The ceasefire stands at least through Friday.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #10.

[rrrod]

Hold on folks.....remember the first rule of dealing with arabs is to never..NEVER believe a word they say.

[tobyhill]

Who's spinning what? The Rats have been yelling that Maliki wouldn't go after the Shiite extremist and now that he's going after the Shiite extremist they will be yelling about how the surge “failed”. They were also yelling about how the Government wouldn't take the step up and fight the extremist themselves but now that they are all the Rats can do is yell about the violence in taking the extremist down. I'm sick and tired of this MSM and Rats game.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This needs to go well for Maliki and us and Bad for Sadr and Iran....gonna get ugly...see #10.

[traderrob6]

Related...

http://exposingtheleft.blogspot.com/2008/03/iraqi-prime-minister-says-no-retreat.html

[RightWhale]

Nothing but de facto imaginings by the press. Ceasefire is in danger but stands. Ignore the gunfire, an unrelated phenomenon.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

More:

*************************EXCERPT*************************

U.S. warplanes hovered in the sky over the provincial capital, Kut.

Sadr's aides said the cease-fire is still formally in place despite the fighting.

He has called on his followers to stage a campaign of "civil disobedience," forcing schools, universities and shops to close, and he has threatened to declare a national "civil revolt" if the two-day-old crackdown is not halted.

Mortar bombs, most apparently fired from the Sadr City area, have exploded in Baghdad for days.

Some definitons of ceasefire are confusing....

[SueRae]

Absolutely agree. If it doesn’t, I don’t want to think about what happens next. And of course, the MSM will be there to cover every messy eruption. And it is going to be very messy I’m afraid. I just hope the Iraqi army and Maliki are victorious. This is it.

[RightWhale]

Some definitons of ceasefire are confusing....

We have had 50 years since the Suez crisis to get used to this Yemeni Arab dialect. It should not be all that difficult at this late date.

[river rat]

The time has come to kill LARGE numbers of Sadr’s thugs - plus Sadr.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Maybe this explains the Sadr ceasefire....

********************

Iran 'behind Green Zone attack'

*********************

Surprise surprise...

The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets.

He said Iran was adding what he described as "lethal accelerants" to a very combustible mix.

[tobyhill]

The Muslim definition for ceasefire is,”you put down your gun first, I shoot you and then I shoot no more”.

[RightWhale]

Yes, the involvment of Iran could advance to direct involvement very quickly when Alsadr’s dups starting losing massively.

[SueRae]

No surpise here. Sadr is an Iranian puppet, nothing more.

[PreciousLiberty]

“I’m sick and tired of this MSM and Rats game.”

+1,000,000

[lonestar67]

0

How could this not be good news for the Bush administration?

[jveritas]

It is long overdue to finish the shia terrorists in Iraq. Maliki seems to be a much stronger leader than what we originally thought.

[Elsiejay]

If the U. S. fails to supply the air and other explosive ordnance backup required to insure Iraq gov’t. success against Mookie.

[SunkenCiv]

Saboteurs blew up one of Iraq's two main oil export pipelines from Basra, cutting at least a third of the exports from the city which provides 80 percent of government revenue.

a.k.a., "signing their own death warrants". Thanks Ernest.

[Grampa Dave]

The time has come to kill LARGE numbers of Sadr’s thugs - plus Sadr.

Time to give ole Sadr and a few thousand of his closest buddies, a burning hot dirt bath and dispose of them like foul garbage.

[elhombrelibre]

Well, this was inevitable and let’s hope he smashes them and removes their threats to the country.

[G8 Diplomat]

"We entered this battle with determination and we will continue to the end. No retreat. No talks. No negotiations."

Amen, Maliki. This is what the libloons fail to realize!

[elhombrelibre]

Because these goons refuse to be reconciled to democracy, continue to threaten and use violence, and refuse to respect the authority of the constitutionally elected government, they must be disarmed or destroyed.

[jveritas]

Amen.

[Marine_Uncle]

Looks like Maliki may have finally reached a point where he sees his administration decline into oblivion if he does not straighten up and fly right.
I can see where one may be hesitant to expend forces in the cesspool of Sadr City, but when goons start blowing up oil pipelines and disrupting the flow of oil revenues, well, maybe they are starting to wake up a bit.
Another side note. As mentioned in another reply to one of your posts on this subject. Where is Hakim fitting in all this. His cadre appear rather quiet at present.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Not good news here:

Iraqi police in Basra shed their uniforms, kept their rifles and switched sides

Areas of Baghdad fall to militias as Iraqi Army falters in Basra

**************************

Don't know if it is true....

[Marine_Uncle]

Let us say the reporting is accurate. All the more reason for Maliki to start play the statesmen, as well as the CIC. He has little excuse. He now has a rather large force. Surely a few divisions could be moved down south, if so required (yes I do have an appreciation for the huge logistic operation involved with a budding army and airforce, to carry out a major operation).
Surely the US forces have worked with the IA and National Police regarding plans to put down major uprisings in the south, should things reach the current state.
As for our British partners. It is wake up call. And yes US. It is wake up call regarding places like Sadr City along with the various HQ of the SA located within Babil province, the capital and points north.
The good news IMHO. The Shia if it turns out a political action, to further discredit the Republican Party at large, in hopes of seeing the Hildebeast or the Kid from Indonesia ascend to the POTUS/CIC, gain popularity among Americans to withdraw, and allow them to later modify the current government structure etc., to impose further absolute rule over none Shia in Iraq, may just played out their final card.
GWB is still in office. Britain, Australia, the eastern European military partners etc., will have a green light to start to wage some major operations against the Shia militias.
It is better to finally bring this chapter to a positive close and annihilate the Shia major militias then let them continue to get away with outright murder and subversion.
They may have played the wrong card at the wrong time.

[SunkenCiv]

IRAQ: (Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says)
Basra gunmen given 3-day ultimatum
Washington Times | March 26, 2008 | Qassim Abdul-Zahra
Posted on 03/26/2008 3:29:16 PM EDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1992027/posts