The Battle of Baghdad (Law Enforcement)

[salim]

http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraqi-news/nieuws.php?id=36212

 

In Arabic, a leaked document dated sep 2nd 2006, that Sadam's underground party is issueing orderds for their secert cells " Thicar operations" to conduct mass assasinations to relatives of more than 60 Iraqi political leaders and activists from Kurd, Arab Sunni and Arab Shia backgrounds, The order to include all those of second and third level "Cousins"..

 

Very chilling but just to high light to level of criminal acts these thugs would go for.. Last two weeks, the brother of Sunni Arab Vice president Alhashimi was killed in the Sunni neighborhood of Al Adamaia. Also the whole family of the sister of the Judge Aluraibi were attacked, killing his brother in law and nephue and critically injuring his sister.

[salim]

Todat, the Genral Kaisy denied the reports by th financial times that the US governemnt is putting pressure on the Iraqi governement to issue an amnisty toward the terrirsts who killed Iraqis and Americans. he said that the iraqis know better what is good for the.

It seems that the Iraqi government officials and Americans too are in need to follow on all these yellow reprts .. One interesting remark here. The announcement by US goverment that there is no such thing as to put a time limit for maliki, was recieved with very cold and low profile coverage by the Arab governemnt media such as Qatar Aljazera and Suadi Arabia. Same media showed a lot of interest in the original reports though.. Seems that those who support terror in Iraq are not happy with such follow up by the Americans.. Something that would tell us what is good in fighting Terror..Is n't it?

[salim]

Kuwaitee Alqabas newspaper, today, came up with a very strange report that is relying on a credible undisclosed source. It claims that US is seriously thinking of giving the radical Moqtada Alsader a special support and recognition if he comes with the US policy in Iraq. The newspaper went to base this on the fact that he is the most powerful political leader in Baghdad and the south. This report is coming after another report by some western media that Baker report is calling for asking help of Syria and Iran in stabilizing Iraq. Some thing that Altalabani agreed with yesterday.

 

It is very clear that the Kuwaiti newspaper is trying either to discredit the Shia religious radical or at least to send a warning to it's fellow Sunni Arab that a change in the dynamics is possible and they need to be more realistic in their demands and acts. I don't know what is the motives but it came to my mind a crazy idea. Why not?

 

From my follow up , these Sadrees , just like any other political party in Iraq, are working for the interest of those whom it represents. I know that the popularity of Alsader had stemmed from the fact that those "insiders" had been into frustration seeing those "out siders" got most of the pie after the fall of Sadam, at a time they were the one who encountered his daily barbaric acts.

 

I am here not to call for any such move by the US government, what I am highlighting is :

 

1-Today if there is any reason that makes US comfort that Iraq would never fall into the hands of Qaeda and Sadamists, as for example the case in Suadi or Afghanistan, is because of the Alsadrees. No any other power on ground could stop the bastered from feeling safe other than Alsadrees.

2-Alsadrees are part of the current political process and had played a reasonable role in supporting the government.

3- Alsadrees represent those who are most beneficiary from the American war on Sadam. And this need to be emphasized to both sides.

4-Most of the Alsadrees, though fanatic radicals, are indeed very poor who try to improve their chances and opportunities after decades of declining.

 

All the above might be put in some way of a deal, not as the one that the Kuwaiti newspaper is claiming but in a new paradigm of respect and encourage to play a more positive rule..

[salim]

There are a lot of reports in the Arab media about Baker's report.. Some is preaching for Baathist come back!

The funny thing is that most of these Arab radicles who are calling for return of the old regime of dictatorship are putting so much faith in the Americans to do the job.. What job?

 

The best is what the reprot below quoted what is called a sunni source.. It is an indirect refrence to a baathist factionist.. Alawee last week accused Iran of spreading such rumers of Military coup, he said what Army? and how.. Iraq today is not like any other thrird world country that you can do such thing by throughing away the governemnt. Almaliki yesterday loughted at such proposed plans, he said we didn't get here through a tank or gun, we came here by Iraqi will.

As for the division of Iraq into three confedrets :as I said before, this might be the dream of Qaeda and some ME governemnts, but Iraqis will not accept it. They already chose the Fedral system that is not based on race or faction and they are working hard on that project.. President Bush confirmation to go that way was a clear message to all those who try to play the wrong cards

 

The withdrew it self is a recipie of civil war between factions racing for grapping power.. i think Americans are the last one to accept such situation..

 

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20061019-120324-9846r.htm

'Dramatic change of direction' coming for Iraq

By Sharon Behn

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

October 19, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The escalating violence raking Baghdad and other Iraqi cities is pushing that nation's leaders, neighboring Arab countries and U.S. advisers to consider a dramatic change of direction in the conduct of the war.

Leaks from a U.S. task force headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III are contributing to the widespread sense that the Bush administration is preparing for a "course correction" in the coming months.

The options cited most frequently in Washington include the partition of Iraq into three ethnic- or faith-based regions, and a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops, with some remaining in neighboring countries to deal with major threats.

Another scenario is being discussed -- and taken seriously in Iraq -- by many of Iraq's leading political players, under which the U.S.-trained army would overthrow struggling Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and replace him with a strongman who would restore order while Washington looks the other way.

Falah Hassan al-Naqib, a Sunni politician who served as minister of the interior in the interim government led by Iyad Allawi until last year, told The Washington Times he has met repeatedly with American and Iraqi generals to discuss alternative courses of action.

"All of them have a 'Plan B,' because if the situation continues as it is, they will have to defend themselves -- not just find bodies all over," Mr. al-Naqib said this summer at his house in Baghdad.

Mayhem has continued in Baghdad despite a U.S. decision to redeploy some 8,000 U.S. troops into the capital over the summer. Officials yesterday reported the deaths of 10 American troops across the country, putting October on track to be the deadliest month in almost two years.

On Monday, The Washington Times reported that Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, was "more sober" and "more concerned" about the ability of the Iraqi security forces when he privately briefed senior military and civilian leaders in Washington last week. Defense sources said he had appeared more upbeat over the winter about the Iraqi security force's progress.

The sources said, however, Gen. Casey was not pessimistic and still thinks the U.S. will win in Iraq. Gen. Casey's spokesman said the general thinks the Iraqi security forces have made great progress and are on track to take over more counterinsurgency missions.

Others in the Bush administration have contributed to the sense that the al-Maliki government has been put on a short leash, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying on a trip to the region Oct. 6 that Iraqi leaders "don't have time for endless debates on these issues. ... They have really got to move forward."

Days before that, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said on CNN that the Iraqi government, "in the course of the next two months, has to make progress in terms of containing sectarian violence."

Similarly, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner, Virginia Republican, told reporters after a trip to Baghdad this month that Congress will have to make "bold decisions" if the Iraqi government does not bring the sectarian killings under control

 

Even Mr. Baker, whose bipartisan commission is expected to hand its recommendations to the Bush administration after the congressional elections, said on ABC's "This Week" that "I happen to think, and I think it's fair to say our commission believes, that there are alternatives between the stated alternatives ... of stay the course and cut and run."

President Bush reassured Mr. al-Maliki in a telephone call on Monday that there was no deadline hanging over his administration, but that has done little to quell the speculation.

The most talked-about scenarios for a "Plan B" include:

• Phased withdrawal: Under this plan, U.S. troops would be gradually withdrawn over a period of months and a reserve force would be redeployed elsewhere in the region.

"Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency," argued Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, who laid out a plan for an immediate withdrawal in November. "They are united against U.S. forces and we have become a catalyst for violence. ... I believe with a U.S. troop redeployment, the Iraqi security forces will be incentivized to take control."

He proposed the creation of a "quick reaction force" and an "over-the-horizon presence" of Marines in the region to deal with urgent problems such as signs that al Qaeda was gaining control of an area.

Similar arguments have been made by Richard A. Clarke, who provided national security advice to the last four presidents, and Edward N. Luttwak, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

CBS reporter David Martin recently quoted a source in the Baker commission saying the group may recommend a scheme under which 5 percent of U.S. troops are withdrawn from Iraq every two months.

Opponents of the plan -- including most Iraqis -- argue that without a strong U.S. troop presence, the country would quickly fall into a vicious civil war and terrorists would be able to establish safe havens from which to harass neighboring U.S. allies.

• Partition: Under this plan, notably advocated by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Delaware Democrat, Iraq would be divided into Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish regions, each enjoying a high degree of autonomy.

A viable central government would remain responsible for border defense, foreign policy, oil production and revenues under the scheme worked out by Mr. Biden and Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.

While acknowledging that decentralization would not immediately end the problem of murderous militias affiliated with the various political parties, Mr. Biden argued in a May 1 speech in Philadelphia that this was the best way to begin rolling them back. "The regions can become magnets for the militia, integrating them into local forces, and eventually into the national force."

This solution would win quick acceptance from the Kurds, who already enjoy a high degree of autonomy in their oil-rich northern region and have little interest in what happens in Baghdad.

Many Shi'ites -- who control the southern oil fields -- would also welcome the arrangement, and this month pushed through a new law opening the door to the establishment of an autonomous region in the south.

The Sunnis, stuck in the middle of the country with no oil and few other resources, could be brought along with a constitutional amendment guaranteeing them 20 percent of all present and future oil revenues, argued Mr. Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"That's ... far more than they'd get otherwise, since the oil is in the north and south, not the Sunni center."

Mr. Baker, however, has already expressed skepticism about the idea, noting that there is no easy way to divide up Baghdad and other major population centers like Kirkuk, where ethnic and religious groupings are closely intermingled.

There are also fears that an autonomous Shi'ite region would quickly fall into the orbit of Iran, while the Sunni region would be ungovernable, offering a safe haven for al Qaeda and related terrorist groups to mount attacks on U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

• Coup in Baghdad: While given little credence in Washington, this scenario is being widely talked about in Iraq and in neighboring countries, both on the streets and among senior political and military officials.

According to the scenario, the new U.S.-trained army, along with elements of Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist-led army, would stage a coup to oust the al-Maliki government and replace it with one led by a more effective figure -- by most accounts Mr. Allawi.

One Iraqi Sunni living in Dubai, who is in close contact with Sunni generals in exile in both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said those generals have been discussing such a "Plan B" with secular Shi'ites and U.S. officials for months.

These officers reportedly are convinced that Miss Rice has been discussing such ideas during a series of visits to Saudi Arabia over the past eight months.

Mr. Allawi, a secular Shi'ite who led the government before the 2005 legislative elections, is known as a strong man with backing from both secular Shi'ites and Sunnis tired of the sectarian killings. The politician also is liked by U.S. intelligence agencies, which were disappointed that his party was unable to win more seats in the parliamentary elections.

"The army scenario is not a bad scenario for the United States," said Robert Killebrew, a retired Army infantry colonel and national security analyst who predicted civil war in Iraq more than a year ago. "U.S. policy issues in the Middle East and Iraq do not require a democratic Iraq, it only requires a stable and friendly Iraq," he said.

Under this scenario, the Dubai-based Sunni source said, the army would gradually bring back elements of Saddam's former army, removing a major grievance that is driving the insurgency.

"The insurgency will come under control as most of them are concerned with keeping Iraq as one country. This is the most important for them and for the surrounding Arab countries," said the former officer.

According to most coup talk, the United States would publicly condemn the move but support the new government after a decent interval.

"My preference would be that there would be a certain amount of sanctimonious hand-wringing and saying that we don't agree with the overthrow of a democratically elected government," said Mr. Killebrew. "But we will continue to support the Iraqis in their fight against the insurgency, which would be de facto support."

[Texas Gentleman]

I think a visit by Rice to Iraq would give a big push to Almaliki governemnt who was under a very battacking compaign by Sadamists and arab rulers media, claiming that Almaliki is not doing enough .. Some thing they already copied from their allies in the US media.. I don't want to elaborate more on this.. It is so discusting to see the American political race giving ecourging signals to those criminals!

 

Iraq is a mess and I don't need the atrocious Arabic, our liberal media or the moron Democrats to tell me this. (so whats new)

 

Sure, there is a Sunni led insurgency of Saddamist, along with the Islamic terrorist groups like al-Qaeda being pounded daily, and led more everyday by the Iraqi Army (IA) and the uncorrupted parts of the Iraqi Police (IP) with US troops and MNF’s backing them up, (mostly US) BUT: It’s been long enough for the Prime Minister of Iraq to stop and take out Sadr and his thugs, along with ANY other NONE IRAQ GOVERNMENT militia’s. As each day passes without anything happening on this, the current crop of elected Iraqi officials seem more in it for themselves or their factional interest, than for Iraq.

 

Trying to reconcile these non Iraq government militias and insurgency into being good citizens as the current Prime Minister thinks is an exercise in futility. The Saddamist insurgency can either be defeated or killed, but the Islamic terror groups must be killed or captured. Preferably Killed

 

No Iraqi can honestly say the Sadr Brigade organization is not behind the Shiite Death squads killing Sunni’s at random and other criminal enterprises. He is a murdering criminal and a thug. Sadr’s militia and other Shi’ite’s retaliating tit for tat indiscriminately on any Sunni has turned most non Saddamist and moderate Sunni unhelpful to the new Iraq government and probably aiding the insurgency strictly for surviving another day. Sadr's militia has to go!

 

For the sake of Iraq, I hope Bush and our General’s start demanding more from the Iraqi leaders, because right now we (the USA and coalition MFN) are taking it in the ass daily from Sadr and other allied Muslim Groups of his ilk. It’s a vicious cycle.

 

If Bush doesn't take some very serious actions against Sadr and his kind by December (after our elections) I will no longer support this mess. You can either fight to win or try to please everyone by bowing down to thugs like Sadr. Seems we've chosen the later by allowing the Iraqi Government take its lead in their faulty reconciliation plan. badWord, the Democrats could do that by just leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here’s what an Iraqi Blogger has to say:

 

…….. let’s take a look at some of the recent bigger stories. First there were the clashes in Diwaniya which can be seen as relatively good news since the operations led to the arrest of a vicious criminal who ordered the slaughter of a dozen Iraqi soldiers who ran out of ammunition during previous clashes back in August.

 

The funny thing is that Sadrists say it was not them who clashed with the raiding force and insist it was the residents of Diwaniya who did! Yeah sure, civilian residents organized 10 RPG teams out of the blue to attack that Abrams tank and defend the militia lieutenant! Ironically even the rival Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri insists it wasn't the Mehdi militia.

 

The IA and US army say it was Sadr's militia, the international media says so too and people in Iraq and especially in Diwanaiya know that too…Do they want us to buy their claims that such organized and heavily armed groups can find a place and act independently against the government and the MNF in provinces where the Sadrists and other politico-religious factions virtually control everything?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My anger right now is mostly directed at Maliki and his corrupt government letting thousands die because they are too scared to stand up to the evil in Iraq. Where are all the moderate Muslims in Iraq? Where are the marches against Sadr, or against the weak government? I keep hearing excuses like "the Iraqi army’s too weak to fight the Sadr army" that’s BS! How hard is it to walk up to these guys and arrest them? Can the Iraqi soldiers fire a gun? If they can't, I'm sure the US army can!

 

Time to end the games and start shooting these a-holes! I think a lot of Americans are in a sour mood because they see nothing new.... only the same old crap, letting the enemy and incompetent Iraqi officials run the circus. That must change now!

 

And if anyone thinks we can deal with Iran without solving Iraq's problems first they are sorely mistaken. If we even touch their nuke sites now with one small bomb they will immediately start a huge gorilla war in Iraq making Vietnam look like a walk in a park. Does anyone honestly think Bush is going to have our soldiers in an Iraq-Iran Muslim holy war costing an ungodly number of deaths and probably the resurrection of the draft? …..No way!

 

So it would then leave us stuck with TWO Jihadist countries who scared America off.

 

Well, that won't work at all!

 

If anyone wants that to happen, then elect Democrats in November. Bush needs to turn it up and we need to turn the Democrats down.

 

NOTE

some of the above taken from others comment on another website who I agreed with

(wish I had kept their addy's for credit)

[AlIraqi]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A senior U.S. diplomat said the United States had shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq but was now ready to talk with any group except Al-Qaida in Iraq to facilitate national reconciliation.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061021/ap_on_...q_us_insurgents

Is the above related to what Salim questioned about , commenting about the possible common interests between US and Alsadrees..? .

It is very clear that the Kuwaiti newspaper is trying either to discredit the Shia religious radical or at least to send a warning to it's fellow Sunni Arab that a change in the dynamics is possible and they need to be more realistic in their demands and acts. I don't know what is the motives but it came to my mind a crazy idea. Why not?

[Texas Gentleman]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A senior U.S. diplomat said the United States had shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq but was now ready to talk with any group except Al-Qaida in Iraq to facilitate national reconciliation.

 

 

 

Quess what ? we have to many DEMOCRATS IN OUR STATE DEPARTMENT (above example) who would like nothing better than to cut and run. Guys like the above 'diplomat' are as we say in Texas ......all HAT no CATTLE !!!!

 

October 21, 2006

 

Mahdi Army, Iraqi Police Clash in Suwayra

 

Sadr's attacks coincide with al-Qaeda bombing, media campaigns and 'marches' in western Iraq. Shades of the Fall of 2004...

 

The Iraqi Army in Amara. (check the links underlined below)

 

One day after the Mahdi Army attacked police stations in Amara and were beaten back by Iraqi Army and police units, Sadr's militia struck again in the town of Suwayra, a town about 30 miles south of Baghdad. AFP reports "some 150 Mahdi Army militiamen armed with AK-47 assault rifles attacked a police station in the Tigris town... eight gunmen died and two civilians were wounded." Sadr's claims that there are elements of his militia that are 'rogue' look less and less credible as each day passes.

 

The Mahdi Army attempts to justify the attack against the Iraqi Police because of a purported U.S. raid on Sadr's office in the city. "A spokesman for Sadr's office in Suwayra said the attack on the police station was a response to an earlier raid by U.S. military forces, backed by helicopters, on a Sadr office. Hamid al-Zargani said the U.S. raid killed six people," according to AFP.

 

The Mahdi Army, unable or unwilling to strike back at U.S. forces, hits the police forces of the legitimate government of Iraq, a government which their leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, purportedly supports. Also note that U.S. security forces are operating in Iraq under the auspices of the United Nations and at the behest of the Iraqi government.

 

The situation in Iraq today resembles that of the fall of 2004, when Sadr conducted his second uprising in Najaf just as al-Qaeda in Iraq was in control of Fallujah. It is believed an informal alliance existed between Sadr and al-Qaeda as each struck at American and the nascent Iraqi government forces. Now, Sadr's forces are probing Iraqi police and Army units in the southern Shiite regions, as al-Qaeda in Iraq is vying for control of Ramadi and Baghdad is the focal point of sectarian violence.

 

Sadr's Mahdi Army attacks in Suwayra and Amara, coupled with a protest in Baghdad of the arrest of Sheikh Mazen Al Saedi, occurred just as al-Qaeda in Iraq declares a rump Sunni State and announces the creation of the "Mutayibeen Coalition," a union of six Anbar tribes and three small insurgent groups. Al-Qaeda's media campaign was in overdrive the past week. The “Ministry of Information in the Islamic State of Iraq” issued a press release on the Friday bombings in Baghdad. Al-Qaeda conducted mini-marches in Haditha, Haqlaniyah, Anah and Bani Daher on Friday. Note that a 15 minute march through a town does not demonstrate any degree of control, and al-Qaeda does not administrative control over territory in Anbar, with the possible exception of a few neighborhoods in Ramadi. According to an intelligence source, the al-Qaeda demonstrators took heavy casualties after their march in Ramadi.

 

Sadr and al-Qaeda are tuned into the U.S. political cycles, and are well aware of the results of dramatic announcements of Islamic States, increases in sectarian violence, suicide campaigns and attacks on Iraqi police and Army units have on the American electorate and the political elite. The questions are: will the Coalition and Iraqi government take on Sadr, secure Baghdad and clear Ramadi, just as was done in Fallujah after the 2004 Presidential election? Does the U.S. and Iraqi governments have the political will and resources to get the job done?

 

By Bill Roggio | Link | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[salim]

Sadr and al-Qaeda are tuned into the U.S. political cycles, and are well aware of the results of dramatic announcements of Islamic States

 

Having Alqaeda and Sadder in one boat is critically dangerous to Iraq, ME and US. It is just like Israelis trying their best to mix Qaeda with Hezbollah while Qaeda wahabees had asked their followers, at their Mosques preaching and Fatwa, to be “haram” blasphemy to pray for Hezbollah.

It is well understood why the Israelis are mixing papers , similarly Baathists calling for the above , but to have some American risking US interests by widening the war to go on two fronts at a time we still struggling with the first. That I failed to understand...

 

One might say that both of them are putting an Islamic state as a goal. If this is the reason, then USA should put Saudi and Iran on same boat too... The stand toward the backward system, that doesn't allow women to drive a car, of Wahabees Saudi is excused while the theocratic backward System, that constitute women candidacy/voting and has the ME biggest number of female taxi drivers, of Shia Iran is not. I fully understand that inconsistancy to be a pure political and I am not arguing it... What I want to reach is that such a mix of Sadder and Qaeda is a pure political too.

 

Let me explain: Sadamists who lost their possible opportunities are trying to reach through a completely different way... Their strategy is simply going on two fronts. The first is with help of Arab powerful media to creat a comon conception that violence in Iraq is simply a conduct of two bad guys, Qaeda against Shia and Saderees against Sunni. So killing them both is the magic solution that would please every body. While killing Qaeda and disbanding its network is a work in progress by Iraqi and US government, they think that only competitor after the American possible withdraw is Saddrees. They also think that ONLY with the American army presence it is possible to execute the second more difficult JOB. They decided to drop down demands of immediate withdraw of US troops asking Americans to first fix the situation then leave the country to their merciful hands! That might explain why Baathists friends “some Democrats” are easying their pushing on the withdraw these days and why the American liberal media are not using American casualties as prime news too!! It might also explain why the later media is talking about Bush pushing and setting time limit on Almaliki to crack down Almehdi Army. Some thing that both Iraqi and American governemnt officially denied..

 

The other Sadamists tactic is to work hard to reach the Americans through some Arab and American brokers that they are still ready to do all requested services as they always did in the past, if they get another chance...

 

This might be a possible solution for Americans and for Iraq too; the question is if this is a realistic one...

I personally don’t think so.

 

Qaeda base in Iraq is nothing but foreigners who got a safe heaven within those Arab Sunni communities that are strongly attached to Sadamists intelligence and militia "Former republican guard". It might be possible two years ago to draw lines between the two but not now, specially after the capture of Sadam and the flee of Sadam's top aids with their deep pockets full of Iraq stolen money. Leaving the base to be recruited by Al zarqawee with all huge finance from Qaeda networks in the Gulf that made Alzawahree to beg Alzaqawee for some pocket money. Today same former Sadamist agent might be working for both. So talking about easy way to discriminate “who is who " would be a very complicated non guaranteed process

 

Some American reportes/ analysists being convinced of such possibility are trying to help the Baathists plan by concentrating on Alsaderes and Almehdi Army as the real core issue in Iraq security. It would be the case if the Sadrees choose to turn over the political process and to try to play a similar rule that Hezbollah is doing by enforcing radicalizing the country... Putting it as priority today is flagging many serious questions that might uncover the real motives behind such stupid calls.

Alsadrees are part of the political process and Muqtada , with great help of Chalabi, are playing a constructive rule in Iraq new dynamics, so pushing them to the other corner seems to be not in benefits of Iraq or the Americans.. Encouraging them to go in the right direction might be a more proactive and healthy one, having in mind that the ONLY force on ground today who is really scaring Qaeda and their Sadimist allies is Almehdi Arm. That is not to shy away from actions by those criminal operatives who claim them self as Almehdi Militia members. No one for sure can prove if they are doing it by direct orders from their leaders or just doing it as unjustified retaliations or even paid by those who work for civil war. We know for sure that Qaeda and Sadamists are doing all the mass killing because their leaders are proud to admit their actions. But with Alsader, he used to be known as a pro Sunni by many Shia till the last Samurra tomb explosions. Muqtada had issued strict religious announcements of condemning any acts to kill people on base of faction or retaliation, he put this as work of Satan "He is pointing to the Israelis!!"...

 

On the other hand, Most Iraqi Shia today , though exteremly hating the Sader radical attitude, are in full sympathy with his Mehdi army because they found it the ONLY force to protect them from Qaeda and Sadamists criminal bands. Just have a look to what had happened in Balad last week when some Sadamist had recruited 18 poor young shia farmers "15-18 years old" to his neighboring Tholoia town . nothing but to slaughter them all. In couple of hours, the Mehdi army personals from local tribes had swept the Qaeda strong hold town to kill double number of 36... Nothing to justify their non legal actions , but when you live in a zoo of wolfs, and when the government is just sitting in the green zone talking about the great achievements, when the American actions are governed by the second term elections politics and possibilities of encouraging Sunnis : don’t blame people from finding their local ways to counter balance terrorizing the terror..

 

The other reason why such plan is non realistic, is because Iraq and America are not the same after 9/11 and April 2003. These Baathists and their friends out side Iraq are still living the cold war era and don't understand terms like globalization and democracy and why these two factors are critical in Iraq expedition. They failed to comprehend the huge changes in the soul of Iraqis, the changes that made them be willing to sacrify any thing but their freedom. Of course except the Baathists themselfs who used to tour around asking stupid question of how great was the old Saddam times that had distroy the country and killed millions of Iraqis.. Being so imparesed by such hight level of Iraqi casualties during Saddam , their friends went too far in claiming foolish unproven numbers of Iraq violance casualties to help their sick theory.

 

Baathists might be used by Americans to penetrate the new Qaeda network but to be relying on to do the next job of building new Iraq is completely another thing !

 

Let us wait and see..

[salim]

The seven point road map by Empassedor Khalil Zadha seems to me a good plan.. It almost comply with most of the concerns by Sunni Arab political parties, those in and those out of the political process.

However there are some points where it might face some problem implementing it:

 

Oil revenews need to be under the fedral governemnt managemnet. Kurds might be very reluctant on this..

Militia abandance.. Kurds might be very angry in including their Beshmarka under such amberella

Debaathification.. Most Iraqi parties agree that this need to be revised but not to the extent of excusing those who had their hands full of Iraqi blood.. Defining best definition for such boarder line might take some time

 

Almaliki in his news confrence agreed on most of them though had some remarks regarding the laguage Zadaha had used. But this is a nother issue..

[Texas Gentleman]

October 25, 2006

Back to Sadr City

 

Iraqi and Coalition forces raid one of Sadr's offices in his Baghdad stonghold

 

The pressure on Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iranian backed leader of the Mahdi Army responsible for much of the sectarian violence in Baghdad, has been ratcheted up by Iraqi and Coalition forces. Just one day after U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad informed the press that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "has agreed to getting rid of the militias," Iraqi and Coalition forces strike in the heart of Sadr's center of power: Sadr city.

 

The Associated Press reports, based a military press release, that “Iraqi army special forces, backed up by U.S. advisers, carried out a raid to capture a 'top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad...' Iraqi forces were fired upon and requested backup from U.S. aircraft, which used 'precision gunfire only to eliminate the enemy threat.'”

 

Map of Baghdad. Note that Thawra is now Sadr City.]Click to view.

 

Al-Iraqia television reports "a booby-trapped motorcycle, weapons and explosives were found during the raid." An Iraqi police colonel states four were killed and 18 wounded during the raid, while Reuters puts the number killed at 5. There is no word if the Sadr commander has been captured. Expect Sadr to run a public relations offensive, using the deaths to his advantage, as he has done in the past after raids on his offices in Baghdad.

 

The raid in Sadr follows yesterday's raids on Sadr offices in the city of Hillah, as well as recent fighting in Amara and regular operations against Sadr's forces in Diwaniyah and elsewhere in southern Iraq. The U.S. is continuing its policy of forcing Sadr to a decision point: disband the militia and enter the policy process as a legitmate actor, or battle it out openly against the elected government of Iraq and Coalition and Iraqi forces.

[AlIraqi]

The pressure on Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iranian backed leader of the Mahdi Army

 

Iranian will like this very much ..Congratulations Iran! They will be very pleased to hear this news.

 

While looking into the map of Sader city .. Do you know how much people are there .. These are three millions poor one!

 

Texasman,

I don't know how much you know about Alsadrees.. Just for your information, Saddam granted them his card blach in 1992 to control the Hawza of najaf logistics . Do you know why?

Answer: They are the most anti Iranian clergy in Iraq.. In Najaf they call them The Arabic hawza!!

[Texas Gentleman]

The pressure on Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iranian backed leader of the Mahdi Army

 

Iranian will like this very much ..Congratulations Iran! They will be very pleased to hear this news.

 

...........................................................................

 

They are the most anti Iranian clergy in Iraq.. In Najaf they call them The Arabic hawza!!

 

 

AlIraqi

 

The article says al Sadr is Iranian BACKED (not Iranian) .... meaning he is recieving much of his financing, mostly newer Russian/French, some blackmarket American made RPG's and anti tank weapons, night vision, communications and other sophisticated equipment that not even Sodamm Insane had ... FROM IRAN to fight the Americans and MFN!! The Saddamist and al Quaeda are getting the same weapons and equipment from SYRIA. Those are KNOW FACTS by the MFN. We know it because the US Army and British have captured a good deal of it from his and the other militia's, insurgents and terrorist organizations, but it keeps on coming. Now I don't argue Muqty may be anti- Iranian clergy, but he is NOT anti taking their money and weapons for his militia. The Iranian Mulla's don't care as long as he stirs up civil strife in Iraq and uses it against the MNF, Americans or Sunni. It's a win win for Iran and Syria and it must STOP. Maybe you can tell me why he's gone to Iran often ? Yes the people in Sadr city are very poor, easily influenced with money and he is taking advantage of that paying them with Irainian money to do his dirty work. Do you think they (the poor) contributed at the Mosque to fund his militia ?

 

On another aside ... are you aware of THE ANBAR SALVATION COUNCIL ?

[Texas Gentleman]

On another aside ... are you aware of THE ANBAR SALVATION COUNCIL ?

 

...... Meanwhile, a group of tribal leaders (click here) from Anbar province asked Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday (Sept 19) to recognize a newly formed council of chieftains and its force of 20,000 fighters as the new provincial government in the volatile Sunni insurgent stronghold.

 

Sheik Fasal Gaood, a prominent tribal leader, said about 1,000 sheiks and other local officials attended a meeting in Ramadi last Thursday and formed a 43-member Anbar Salvation Council, representing 18 major tribes, to fight al-Qaeda and other insurgents.

 

"The situation right now in Anbar is total chaos. There is no government, there is no authority, there is no law," he said. "We want to launch a strike to end the terrorists once and for all in Anbar."

 

The conference, known as the Anbar Awakening, called on Maliki to sack the existing provincial government and replace it with the Salvation Council. "The governor of Anbar is an extremist and Islamist, and he has links to the terrorists," said Sheik Hameed al-Haes, the leader of al-Boodyat, one of the major tribes in Anbar. "That's why we want to replace him."

 

Dabbagh, the government spokesman, said the prime minister welcomed the support of the tribes in combating insurgents and would consider their requests.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I don't understand this Salim:

 

"The other Sadamists tactic is to work hard to reach the Americans through some Arab and American brokers that they are still ready to do all requested services as they always did in the past, if they get another chance...

 

This might be a possible solution for Americans and for Iraq too; the question is if this is a realistic one...

I personally don’t think so.

 

We're you talking about the above Anbar Council Sunni's Salim? ... because that might work bringing them in under the IRAQ governemnt control and NOT as a private militia BUT ! I dont see Bush negotiating with the Saddamist insurgency ever (especialy to give them ANY power back)... who knows what a Democrat would do, lets hope we (especialy Iraq) doesn't get that opportunity to find out.

[salim]

I think both Texasman and Alraqi have valid points

 

Texasman point: Alsader at the end is a radicle clergy that would go along with Iranian Mullas stands.

Aliraqi point : to deal with him should not be through using force ..

 

Indeed that what I was trying to say..

We need to play the political game and not to work on pretexts.. There is no pro or anti, there are interests.. talabani is proud of being backed by Iranians, but this is not to make Kurds pro Iranians..

People search for their interests , it would be your interests to make theirs going with yours. It is the Sadamists/Syrians/Iranian interests to have a popular political radicle party like Alsaderee be engaged in an armed conflict with the coalition forces, we should be smart enough not to give them that chance to laught at us.

What Maliki, in full support of President Bush, is doing is to block such thing from happening without sacrifying the ultimate goal of disbanding Militias. I think the current Alsader city conflict came after Maliki visit last week to Najaf and his success to convince Muqtada that it is good for him to isolate these criminal operatives who work under cover of Militia of Mehdi Army. That is why Muqtada issued his strongest condenmation, one day before the operation, for these thugs and called for his Mehdi Army to fight them.. He went through his radicle style though clarifying that the occupation is his only enemy, but this not our point here.

 

Maliki today disagreed with the way these opperations were carried on in a crowd city of three milion people, he said that such operation need to be under governemnt control and supervision..

 

Maliki sent a very strong message to all militias to disband their weapons or facing realities and concequences.. I think he means it..

 

Anbar Salvation is a very interesting development and by no means my comments to be read in reference to these brave Iraqi Sunni Arab Shiekhs that I already commented on their uprise two weeks ago calling the governemnt to fully support them. The problem is that the Islamic party is not happy with them . The Salavation's accused the party of being in undercover coalition with the terrorists in Ramade. The party has strong influence in the coalition governement that would put so much pressure on Maliki not to support the " Salavation " in Ramade. The pary got key positions such as the vice president post.

Almaliki was clear that he would not bow to these pressures though.. However, I don't see enough support to them till now.!!

[salim]

EXCLUSIVE-Iraqi PM sees peace in 6 months - if US cooperates

Maliki, in office for six months at the head of a unity coalition including Sunnis and Kurds, said he had won the agreement of Shi'ite militia leaders like Moqtada al-Sadr, the focus of particular U.S. criticism, to halt violence.

 

Iraqi Sunnis and U.S. officials blame members of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and similar Shi'ite paramilitary groups, some in the security forces, for thousands of sectarian killings.

 

"As far as 'tough decisions' go, I say we want to take firm and difficult decisions," Maliki said of Bush's remark.

 

"But anyone who wants to take a difficult decision has to do so from solid ground and so the far the ground is unstable -- due to current security policies."