Iraq will confront Sadr, not allow open war

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

MANAMA, April 21 (Reuters) - The Iraqi government will not allow Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to wage an "open war" in Iraq and will move to curb his militia, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Monday.

Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia has battled U.S. and Iraqi government forces, threatened on Saturday to launch an "open war until liberation" against the U.S.-backed government if it continued a month-old crackdown on his followers.

The threat was followed by what the U.S. military called the heaviest fighting for weeks in his east Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City.

"Of course nobody will accept open warfare in Iraq or allow the rule of militias to be established," Zebari told Reuters in Bahrain.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21581329.htm

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U.S., Iran agree: al-Sadr's out
By James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin

BAGHDAD — In the Iraqi government's fight to subdue the Shiite militia of Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern city of Basra, perhaps nothing reveals the complexities of the Iraq conflict more starkly than this: Iran and the United States find themselves on the same side.

The causes of this convergence boil down to the logic of self-interest, although it is logic in a place where even the most basic reasoning refuses to proceed in a straight line. In essence, though, the calculation by the United States is that it must back the government it helped to create and take the steps needed to protect U.S. troops and civilian officials.

Iranian motivations appear to hinge on the possibility that al-Sadr's political and military followers could gain power in provincial elections, now scheduled for this fall, and disrupt the creation of a large semi-autonomous region in southern Iraq that the Iranians see as beneficial.

~snip~

But both sides are adamant on the issue of countering al-Sadr, one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite clerics. As Iraqi government soldiers took control of the last areas of Basra from al-Sadr's militia on Saturday, concluding a monthlong effort, Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi Qumi, took the unusual step of expressing strong support for the government's position and described al-Sadr's fighters as outlaws. When it comes to which Shiite Iran and the United States want to see in power, at least for now they largely see al-Sadr's ascendance as a common threat — but nowhere more so than in Basra, the oil-rich capital of Iraq's most populous region, the Shiite south.

more:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2004362583_iraniraq21.html?syndication=rss

[Altean Wanderer]

1. Despite what Maliki wants - I predict an open war n/t

[acmavm]

2. Well, this can't possibly end well. Maybe we've finally hit that

big wall that every invader eventually hits when they try to take over the Middle East.

[maddezmom]

3. ANALYSIS-Iraq's Sadr cannot be defeated by force: experts

ANALYSIS-Iraq's Sadr cannot be defeated by force: experts 21 Apr 2008 13:05:41 GMT
BAGHDAD, April 21 (Reuters) - Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says the next step is "open war". The U.S.-backed government shows no sign of backing down.

Suddenly, after many months in which the news from Iraq has been mostly about falling violence, the country is reeling towards a rebellion by millions of Sadr's followers against a government crackdown on his black-masked Mehdi Army militia.

Ultimately, say experts, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki may never be able to defeat the popular cleric by force, and his attempt to do so could make Iraq far more unstable at a time when U.S. troops are reducing in numbers.

So far, Maliki has averted disaster.

After embarrassing early mishaps in their month-old campaign in the southern oil hub of Basra, government forces have scored a number of military gains. They now control Sadr's main strongholds in Basra, and residents report that the iron grip of religious militia on life there has eased.

more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21609867.htm

[Javaman]

4. Well given the fact that in the current situation, "confronting" anyone

would be basically a declaration of war, I don't see how the iraqi puppet is going to talk his way out of this one.

[provis99]

5. so Maliki will stop an open war by undertaking open war against Sadr?

Looks like Iraqi leaders are as Orwellian as American leaders.

[donkeyotay]

6. Just when you think you know what's going on over there.

Interesting article.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2004362583_i...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. al-Sadr owns Iraq righ now

And we paid him millions to stop the fighting in Sadr City a couple of years ago. Think we can pay him off now? I mean, we paid those 1,300 Iraqi "fighters," and all they did was turn tail and run when confronted by Sadr's people.

We are so fucking stupid. Not a clue about the history there, just like Vietnam.