U.S.,Iraqi Forces Raid Radical Shiite Stronghold (sparks big battle)

AP ^ | Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | AP

[Btrp113Cav]

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. and Iraqi forces on Wednesday raided Sadr City, the stronghold of the feared Shiite militia led by radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated."

[SoFloFreeper]

Whack 'em. I bet you find some DNC campaign material and talking points in there. Maybe a tape of Dick Durbin's "gulag" remarks...

[Btrp113Cav]

i bet we find some iranian revolutionary guards, iranian agents, and uhm al-sadr. Hey wait... why haven't we taken out or arrested al-sadr yet...? I forgot... we are scared of getting into a conflict with IRAN.

[misterrob]

The current PM is an appeaser to Sadr.

If you want to know where the coalition screwed the pooch was in letting that diaper stain Sadr live and proposer.

[finnman69]

About time. This is about 3 years too late, but I'll take it.

Take the gloves off.

[SoFloFreeper]

I don't think we're scared of fighting Iran. I think we're waiting for a more optimum time to either take covert action, overt action, or allow some Israeli warplanes to do their duty.

[angkor]

Until they kill Sadr and put down his militia entirely, this thing is unwinnable.

[LZ_Bayonet]

"Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated."

Plausible deniability, Iraq style?

[RasterMaster]

The DNC media will be deeply saddened if Al Sadr is "accidently" killed in the crossfire.

[r9etb]

Plausible deniability, Iraq style?

My take, too. Maliki's walking a fine line.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I think that Israel is waiting for the skunk-werks/Black Ops exchange program to use some of our neat-o toys./

[FreedomNeocon]

Ok this is what... round 8 with Mookie?

Would it be wrong to pray that he dies today?

[johnny7]

Be a real shame if something 'happened' to Maliki...

[tomnbeverly]

Yep.. Just look at Kennedy's coordination with KGB Yuri Andropov trying to undermine Regan for political gain... Do you even doubt that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Kerry, Murtha, Durbin, Howard Dean etc have not coordinated with our enemies against President Bush....

Why is there not out cry of treason. I know it is difficult for the President to say it but the Pundits need to be out specifically stating that Democrats have betrayed their country in the past and are doing so today...

[q_an_a]

if he does not want these raids repeated maybe he can send his army to stop it...then we will see who controls what operations.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated."

Oh yes it will..........

[sam_paine]

If you want to know where the coalition screwed the pooch was in letting that diaper stain Sadr live and proposer.

I'm not so sure. The selfsame fact that this idiot is a diaper stain, and still commands the awe of such a large bunch of misfits tells me that were he whacked, any other dim bulb would stand up in his place.

Killing him means playing active whack-a-mole. Leaving him allows the flies to gather in a convenient place.

At the beginning, I believed Bush's theory that all people crave freedom. At this point, I think Mohammad was faced with these people in his time and came up with the only way to keep them in line.....busy praying and cut their heads off if they look askance, and promise them goodies in the next life knowing they were screwed in their current life.

Freedom and liberty is dangerous for people who have no good options.

[Steve_Seattle]

" . . . but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated."

If that's his attitude, we should get out ASAP. You can NOT build a stable country, much less a democracy, while allowing sectarian militias to roam the streets and taking the law into their own hands. YOU CANNOT ALLOW IT.

[moose2004]

I think Maliki knew all about the operation, but he's claiming he wasn't consulted so he can still try the diplomatic approach with Sadr, i.e. good cop/bad cop.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Until they kill Sadr and put down his militia entirely, this thing is unwinnable."

Ditto. And that is why I'm very disturbed by al-Maliki's comments. If he intends to allow the militias to roam the streets, we should just get out and let them figure out their own solution.