Posted on 03/31/2008 11:22:26 AM PDT by tobyhill
BAGHDAD - Fighters of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have melted away from the streets of the Iraqi capital and Basra where they fought fierce battles with security forces, AFP reporters said today.
Yesterday, Sadr ordered his fighters to withdraw from the streets in a move signaling the end of clashes which erupted in the southern port city of Basra and quickly spread to Shiite areas across Iraq.
AFP correspondents in Baghdad and Basra said that militants were off the streets in the two key cities where they fought Iraqi security forces backed by US-led coalition air power.
The Sadr group in Baghdad confirmed that fighters from the cleric’s feared Mahdi Army militia were no longer deployed in the capital.
"Sadr movement and Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) are committed to the order of Sadr," said Hamdallah al-Rikabi, spokesman of the cleric’s movement in western Baghdad. "We are implementing what Sadr has ordered."
(Excerpt) Read more at thetimes.co.za ...
I agree. Exceedingly good news. Of course it needs to hold for a while, but this is a major feather in the cap for Maliki. He showed toughness and resolve, and gets some “street cred” out of it.
And if Mookie keeps bouncing back like that, the Iraqi troops can keep smacking him down.... I don't imagine Mookie's folks are all that keen on being the next round of cannon fodder, though.
The MSM seems to be giving Sadr and the Iranians all the credit for stopping the fighting.
And what's really good about it is that they did it successfully, and (according to the MSM reports, at least) against the better judgment of the US military.
Of course, in saying the US military were disturbed, the MSM probably relied on their "hand-wringer" pool of doomsaying military sources, so that they could set up the pieces to lament the "failed US policies" again.
Instead, those damned Iraqis had to do a good job ... which makes it that much harder for the Dems and the MSM to predict failure.
For all the press drama this didn’t take very long, Im not sold on the Iraqi army yet but they must feel good taht they led their own operation with just a little US help. Also, it seems major that they cracked down on a “fellow” Shiite group.
THIS is important!!
How can this @ hole ask that they stop the fighting f he wasn’t involved in starting the fighting.
Michael Savage was right, we should have leveled Fallujah, and wiped out Sadr from the beginning when we have the support and leverage.
Iranian general played key role in brokering Iraq cease-fire
The left are a terrible bunch, they are not reporters.
Does the thought “finish the bastard off” ever enter into the thinking?
I’m not sold yet either but this helps make other Middle-Eastern countries think twice about trying to lay claim to a sovereign Iraq.
I saw it yesterday and I know the MSM will try to claim it was too much American involvement but the Iraqi Troops performed 95% of the mission in Basra and at least 70% of the Sadr City Mission.
That little bastard is lying his ass off, regrouping and rearming, making a better plan while we stop killing them.
Laser scopes & tracer rounds from machine guns and some awesome sounding gattling-gun in the background.
sadr was doing a “reload through negotiation” ploy.
very transparent.
.....that fighters from the cleric’s feared Mahdi Army militia were no longer deployed in the capital.....
Did the Brits leave Bashra because they feared Mookie? Are you giving them cover for leaving Mr Times
The reason al-Sadr surrendered
YouTube ^ | March 30, 2008 | Thomas W.
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