Moqtada al-Sadr orders Iraq PM out of Basra

Telegraph UK ^ | 2:53am GMT 27/03/2008 | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has demanded that the country's prime minister leave Basra where he is overseeing a military operation to purge the southern city of its radical Shi'ite militiamen.

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  Relations between Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki have deteriorated sharply as the two men clashed over fighting between Iraqi forces and gunmen in Sadrist communities in Iraq.

  
  An Iraqi man carries the body of his son, who was killed during clashes in Basra, during a funeral, while militia loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr guards a street in the city
  
  

  Mr Maliki gave followers of Sadr and other Shi'ite gunmen 72 hours to surrender their weapons and renounce violence or bear the brunt of a military crackdown.

  "We are not going to chase those who hand over their weapons within 72 hours," said Mr Maliki. "If they do not surrender their arms, the law will follow its course."

  A spokesman for Sadr said his movement had appealed to Mr Maliki to reduce tensions in the city by returning to Baghdad and sending a parliamentary delegation to seek an end to fighting.

  Liwa Sumaysim, a spokesman for Sadr said: "Sadr has asked prime minister Maliki to leave Basra and to send a parliamentary delegation to resolve the crisis in the city."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[PzLdr]

Ordered the PM out of a city in his own country? What is this, “Let the Mookie win!”? What’s he smoking?

[NormsRevenge]

Time for a Tic Tac MOAB-2

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

["Mr Maliki gave followers of Sadr and other Shi'ite gunmen 72 hours to surrender their weapons and renounce violence or bear the brunt of a military crackdown. "]

"When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."

[G8 Diplomat]

Uh...he actually thinks the PM of the Iraq will just get up and leave one of his own cities because a random cleric said so? Mook-man is full of Shi’ite.

[neodad]

That boy’s in dire need of an a$$ whuppin.

[G8 Diplomat]

*should say PM of Iraq....I really shouldn’t FReep after midnight

[Irish Eyes]

That boy’s in dire need of an a$$ whuppin.

Hope he gets it.

[Rome2000]

Maybe these Untermenschen should go to HOOTERS and have a beer.

It curbs the Suicide Bombing urge.

[melt]

Yeah, just shoot ! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DzcOCyHDqc

[When do we get liberated?]

No, breasts cure the suicide bombing urge. But you get a 2 for one there.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

It’s time to put Mookie’s head in a box and FedEx it to Tehran with a memo telling Iran to butt out.

[DGHoodini]

LOL!..Muqtada morphs intro ‘Basra Bob’!

[unspun]

What’s wrong with us?

Just find the bad actor and put him down. Immediately. Should have been done years ago.

No, we have had to pussy-foot with the Iraqi Shiites while shutting out the Sunnis (not to mentione the Christian Assyrians!).

The stupidity continues.

How many people need to pray for George W.?

[Seajay]

This could be more fun than shootin cats and hangin dogs ...

[HardStarboard]

al Maliki needs to arrange a meeting for al Sadr with some of the Brit SAS and US Spec Forces....for about an hour or so.

He'd either see the Mahdi.....or not.

[sageb1]

Uh...sure...ok.

[sageb1]

Is that arrest warrant on him still good? Oh. yeah. forgot. Shi’a.

[50cal Smokepole]

Oh fer cryin' out loud...
Would someone please drop a J-DAM on Mookie's head!
If the mutt's still in Iran, then pick a suitable tac-nuc.