Don't hold your breath!
Posted on 08/06/2008 6:24:51 AM PDT by xzins
Report: Sadr to disarm Mahdi Army
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr intends to disarm his once-dominant Mahdi Army militia and remake it as a social-services organization, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The transformation would represent a significant turnaround for a group that has been one of the most destabilizing anti-American forces in Iraq.
A new brochure, obtained by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by al-Sadr’s chief spokesman, Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, states that the Mahdi Army will now be guided by Shiite spirituality instead of anti-American militancy. The group will focus on education, religion and social justice, according to the brochure, which is aimed at al-Sadr’s followers. The brochure also states that it "is not allowed to use arms at all," The Journal noted.
Posters have been put up in some areas of Baghdad saying a new direction for the Mahdi Army will be announced at this Friday’s prayers, the paper reported.
Disarmament is far from certain, the Journal noted, writing that the group is ridden with internal strife, and that al-Sadr now is believed to spend significant time outside the country, in Iran.
U.S. military spokesman Col. Jerry O’Hara told the Journal that the military welcomed the news, but said "the proof is always in the actions and not just the words, so we’ll take a wait-and-see approach."
Al-Sadr faces big challenges. The Journal wrote that hard-liners within the Mahdi Army will likely reject the new strategy, just as they have ignored his orders to freeze violent activities as part of a cease-fire. These members have also been threatening — and assassinating — rivals who support the cease-fire.
Petraeus was right.
The US Troops were right.
The drip, drip, drip of victorious indicators continues out of Iraq.
The liberal "NO"bama media were wrong, wrong, wrong about their "cut and run" cowardice.
I can’t WAIT to READ this on CNNABCCBSMSNBC.
Don't hold your breath!
Sounds like the Islamic lying we’ve heard so many times before, especially from this particular Jihadist.
They can make more money in social services - just look at all the parasites we have here in the USA that are doing well in the poverty industry.
Yeah, right.
Bump! Bump! Bump!
It would be ironic if Sadr got offed by his own supporters.
“social service organization” - great, another PLO
Someone ping the Obamao’s Campaign....
A funeral for fatso and his flock would be more fitting.
Front page headline in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal...
Isn't that what the Hamas clain to be?
This is a clear indication of Sadr giving up.
There is only one thing to account for it....the surge and its new strategy. They have been successful in just about one year’s time. In that year, Petraeus has proven everything he claimed and some. With the official surge now over, the die is cast in terms of the anti-insurgent strategy.
Those in opposition are being blasted into oblivion.
Who cares about Sard’s “social service agency?” That’s nothing more than a defeated dog rolling over and showing its underbelly.
The doom and gloom crowd, excited over every report of any bomb, a new dead US soldier, or some mishap.... they will simply move onto some new theme, some new topic.
No news is good news, and it's literally a thousand small little baby steps that will bring Iraq to her feet, few to none being reported on. I'm proud of our forces, I'm proud to once have been part of this organization and played my small piece in all this. Those like Obama who acted only out of pure self interest, damaging the war effort along the way so they can score some cheap political capital, they will actually twist their words so they too can take credit for this success for most of us who served in this war, like Hanoi Jane, his name is an insult. You watch, before it's all done you'll have people with names like Schummer, Murtha, Pelosi, Reid and Obama trying to “take credit” for Iraq.
“No”bama was and remains a “cut and run” coward.
Now he wants to change is "army" of murderous thugs into a social service organization like Meals on Wheels? What he does now, he could reverse later. This piece of slime needs to receive a half ounce of high-speed Iraqi lead in the middle of his unibrow. THEN and only then, we can be sure that his towel-wearing Mafia won't bother anyone again.
Congressman Billybob
Tenth in the ten-part series, "The Owner's Manual (Part 10) -- The Remaining Amendments"
Latest article, "A Scandinavian Skeleton in a Southern Closet"
Don’t know about that. More than anything, he wants us out of there. If the violence ends and the Iraq Army can provide security then we will leave sooner. I think he realizes he has a better chance at power through politics than he does with guns.
See #14
The Lebanese government did not have the means to resist Hamas that the Iraqi government and Maliki have. Malkik knows his existence is tied to grinding Sadr underfoot.
these people are basically cowards. Show some force, get some wins in your pocket and they fall like a house of cards.
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