US general wants to take Sadr City before militia regroups? Genius!

[Alpharetta]

http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/national/20040903025529.shtml

U.S. commander: Al-Sadr must be defeated now
The Associated Press
September 3, 2004

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BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The fight with renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is not over and the U.S. military must retake his stronghold in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum, a top U.S. commander said Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, said action is necessary before the volatile cleric has a chance to rebuild his Mahdi militia, which was devastated in recent fighting.

"He’s decided the best thing for him to do is to go underground and regroup," Chiarelli told The Associated Press. "We’re not going to allow that to happen."

The Mahdi Army hasn’t launched a significant attack on U.S. troops in two days, Chiarelli said. The rebel leader has not made a public appearance since the remnants of his militia departed Najaf’s Imam Ali Shrine after a peace agreement last week.

More at link:
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/national/20040903025529.shtml

Here's my question:
Sadr City is a slum of over 2,000,000 people, most of whom are unemployed. Does he think Al Sadr has a shortage of manpower?

[MercutioATC]

1. I though part of the pullout agreement was that U.S. troops would

stay out of Sadr City and let the Iraqi national forces police it. Am I mixing up agreements here?

[Aidoneus]

3. that was Najaf

Madinat as-Sadr deserves special consideration. Saddam's people barely had any grip on it, and could never penetrate the underground there. It was never, at any point, under occupation by American invaders or "Iraqi government" collaborating agents. Nor would it ever accept any of the latter at any point.

[MercutioATC]

5. Thanks. I wasn't sure if I had it right or not.

[jimshoes]

4. Why do I get the feeling

we're treating the Iraqi's in a similar fashion to the way I've heard we treated some Native Americans. Bullshit them into a peace treaty and then decimate them. Hope it don't turn into a 2004 version of the Little Big Horn.

[Career Prole]

2. I was under the impression the U.S. couldn't launch any offensives

without the okay of the interim government. I didn't see them mentioned in the article and the last I heard were trying to get al-Sadr engaged in the political process.
Is this Chiarelli talking out his ass?