US on mission to "kill or capture" Sadr, says top general

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040412/pl_afp/us_iraq_najaf_040412204305

US on mission to "kill or capture" Sadr, says top general

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US forces are on a mission to "kill or capture" the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and has manoeuvred forces around Sadr's stronghold city of Najaf, a top general said.

Another top officer, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, head of US forces in Iraq (news - web sites), said the holy city of Najaf remains under the control of militia loyal to Sadr, who is wanted for murder.

But reports from Najaf said Iraqi police had moved into the city following what they called an agreement, involving the US-led coalition, for the withdrawal of armed militias from the streets.

Sadr is believed to be in hiding in Najaf but has continued to send messages to supporters urging action against the US occupation.

An Iraqi judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Sadr in connection with the murder of a rival cleric.

General John Abizaid, the head of the US Central Command, which includes Iraq, said: "The mission of the US forces is to kill or capture Motada Sadr. That's our mission."

<chop>

[mr_hat]

1. This must be just *killing* OBL..

[htuttle]

2. "But I'M supposed to be the Mahdi, Ayman!"

"It's supposed to be ME!"

(kicks cave wall...walks off, sulking).

[Frangible]

4. heh, ns

I bet OBL is laughing it up right now. All he had to do is flying a few planes into buildings, and now he's got the US on the brink of another holy war. And, the focus is off him and most of America is tied up in Iraq. Yep, he's definately gotta be busting his gut over our stupidity.

[daleo]

3. Another tactic from the Likud playbook

At least when Sharon does it, he can make the case that innocent Israelis have been killed by Hamas (leaving aside the deeper arguments on both sides for the moment). Bush can't honestly claim that Sadr has ever threatened any American who wasn't part of the invasion and occupation - although lots of American citizens have the bizarre notion that the Iraq disaster has something to do with 911. This action would only inflame the situation even more than it already is.

[Disturbed]

5. Brutal Force on the Sub-Humans

The US Military is a Right Wing org. aiming to please the
Right Wing in the US.

[keithyboy]

6. It's so stupid to say something like this ...cowboy mentality

We should be asking to talk with him. If we kill him just look for 10 more like him to emerge and for other Shiia to be thinking that they are going to be next. We are going to inflame and unite all of Iraq before June.

[progressivebydesign]

12. 10 More? You're being conservative.. I say a 1,000 N/T

[legin]

8. Exactly what I was thinking LOL

A total basement thread title if ever there was one.

Welcome to the new West Bank, same as the old one but a bit bigger.

[MrSlayer]

7. That'll go a long way toward making them love us.

Great idea, make a martyr out of the guy everyone is following. They'll get the point and throw away all their guns and live in harmony.

:eyes:

[yella_dawg]

9. What's this "kill or capture" crap?

I thought we were the "good guys".

[acmavm]

10. Absolutely the DUMBEST damn thing they could do. Never learn a damn

thing, do they? It seems like they think if they keep doing it over and over and over, it'll all work out somehow.

Like some warped version of the movie Groundhog's Day.

[jobycom]

11. Sadr should be happy. Not like we've gotten anyone we've said that about

The Kurds captured Hussein, and who knows where Bin Laden is. If only he can get Bush to say he won't rest until Sadr is captured or killed, he could expect a long, comfortable life.

Just for the record-- if Bush was really doing everything he could to get UBL, as he promised us, how could he step up efforts a couple of months ago? I mean, if you are already doing EVERYTHING, you can't suddenly do more. Sigh. Must be more Republican logic, which gives new meaning to the phrase "fuzzy logic."

[boobooday]

13. Why do I have the feeling this isn't going to help things?

Killing him now would be a major mistake.

I feel so bad for our soldiers, having to represent this madness.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[cliss]

14. And I promise you when they capture or

kill Al-Sadr, they will inflame every man, woman and child in Iraq to fight against the occupiers.

I have long suspected that these war planners knew very little about Iraq or the people who live there. They know plenty about the geography of the land, namely where the oil is, but they are completely ignorant about the people sitting on top of it.

They know nothing of loyalty - they do not understand that the Iraqis will give their lives for their beloved Imam or Iraq itself.

When they assassinate him, they could stir up a riot that will inflame the entire Middle East.

[Beaker]

15. well, that will certainly solve that problem....

not.

instead of a democratic jewel in the mideast, we'll be giving them a martyr.

[Voltaire99]

16. US and UK: Say, how about we make it the UN's problem?

From the article:

Britain and the US are pressing for a new UN resolution which could cede authority for Iraq's political progress to the international community.
...
The elements of a compromise being discussed in London ahead of Tony Blair's talks with George Bush at the end of the week involve the international community endorsing the political process in Iraq, recognising the timetable towards elections next year and accepting the interim government's authority.

In return, the UN would be asked to take the lead political role in Baghdad after July 1, supplanting the coalition authority but having no control over the US, Britain or other foreign military forces in Iraq.

A Downing Street spokesman yesterday confirmed that one of the issues would be "how to enhance the role of the UN". He added: "A new UN resolution is being discussed ... We have always said we would like the coalition to be as broad as possible."


Ha, ha! Good luck getting your fig leaf! They deserve a prize for shamelessness, but I don't see lines forming among nations who want to clean up after George and Tony.

How much will the bribes cost?

[Devils Advocate NZ]

17. Bugger the actual act, SAYING it is even more stupid!

I mean, it's not like Sadr's militia is going to be interested in negotiations now, is it? Abizaid has just made sure that this turns from an "uprising" into an all out war.

It now doesn't matter whether they actually do it or not - they have proclaimed that it is their mission, and nothing will convince the militias that the US is anything but an enemy to be killed.

If they had kept their mouths shut, they would have had options. For example they could try to come to some agreement with Sadr to end the fighting. Now, however, Sadr himself knows they want to kill him, have said so publically, and thus can not change their minds.

There is no turning back. Iraq is now officially a new Vietnam.

[saigon68]

20. It's IRAQ-NAM

A place where death rides a pale horse and shows no favorites.


In Iraq-Nam death stalks

The Innocent, the Guilty, the Careless and the Unlucky without choosng sides.

[ConcernedCanuk]

18. "The mission of the US forces is to kill or capture Motada Sadr"

.
.
.

I thought the mission was to free the Iraqis from Saddam?

OH, almost furgot, it was the threat of WMD's to the USA.

And to "kill or capture"?

Their priority is obvious - They want to kill him

There's thousands to take his place

I'm sure they are prepared if the USA "gets" al-Sadr

And then the USA will murder MORE innocent Iraqis to "get" THAT guy.

The USA is sliding down the slippery slope to Genocide.

It appears they want to kill whoever disagrees with them, and if women, children, and babies are in the way, well, that's just "collateral damage"

Sick, sick

The USA is becoming the most murderous nation of the 21st Century.

[cliss]

19. Yup.

There are many reasons for this which I've posted on several threads. Let's just suffice it with a quote I read recently,

"The American lifestyle is non-negotiable". End of quote.

[saigon68]

21. Or as War Crimnal Tommy Franks said

"We don't do body counts"