>From today's Daily Telegraph....
Radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has appeared in public for the first
time in months, delivering an anti-American sermon to thousands of
followers and demanding US troops leave Iraq.
Al-Sadr had gone into hiding in Iran four months ago at the start of the
US-led Baghdad security crackdown. It was not immediately clear why he
chose to return to his base in the Shia holy city of Najaf. However, he
could be trying to take advantage of the absence of a major rival,
Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who was
recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went to Iran for treatment.
Al-Sadr's reappearance coincides with a US military announcement that
six of its soldiers were killed in a series of attacks across Iraq in
recent days. The deaths put May in the running to become one of the
deadliest months for US forces in Iraq. Al-Sadr travelled in a long
motorcade from Najaf to the adjacent holy city of Kufa on Friday morning
to deliver his sermon before 6,000 worshippers. "No, no for Satan. No,
no for America. No, no for the occupation. No, no for Israel," he
chanted in a call and response with the audience at the start of his
speech.
He also repeated his long-standing call for US forces to leave Iraq. "We
demand the withdrawal of the occupation forces, or the creation of a
timetable for such a withdrawal," he said. "I call upon the Iraqi
government not to extend the occupation even for a single day." He went
on to condemn fighting between his Mahdi Army militia and Iraqi security
forces, saying it "served the interests of the occupiers." Instead, he
said the militia should turn to peaceful protests, such as
demonstrations and sit-ins, he said.
As part of his effort to recast himself as a nationalist - instead of a
radical with a narrow Shia agenda - the 33-year-old leader called on
Sunnis to join with him in the fight against the US troop presence. He
also criticized the government's inability to provide reliable services
to the people.
Al-Sadr is believed to be honing plans to consolidate political gains
and foster ties with Iran. His Mahdi Army fought US troops to a virtual
standstill in 2004, but to avoid renewed confrontation he ordered his
militants off the streets when the US began its security crackdown in
the Baghdad area 14 weeks. His associates say his strategy is based
partly on a belief that Washington will soon start reducing troop
strength, leaving behind a hole in Iraq's security and political power
structure that he can fill.
::a
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Leland F. Jackson, CPA
Sent: 25 May 2007 03:02
To: ProFox Email List
Subject: Re: [OT] Iraq's Sadr Overhauls His Tactics, Shiite Woos Sunnis,
PurgesExtremists
Al-Sadr is proving to be a politician that seems to be winning some
trust among the Sunni community. He may be the last best chance of
achieving a unified Iraq in which Shiite, Sunni, and Kurds tolerate one
another. If he became the leader of Iraq, he would have the power to
punish those who refuse to live in tolerance.
He might become a strong enough leader with authority over, and support
from, the masses, so the US could negotiate a surrender or peace within
the region. Having Al-Sadr lead Iraq is better than death, destruction,
and ciaos which is extremely contagious and could spread beyond the
borders of Iraq to a much wider region of the ME. Right now there is no
authority, or leadership figure, within Iraq with support from the
majority of the Iraqi people with which the US can do business or
contract. Al-Sadr on the other hand might be strong enough to control
the country and enforce settlement reached in negotiations or other
business contracts. Hey, it beats civil war and ciaos.
Besides, at the end of the day, we may be stuck with Al-Sadr, whether we
back him or not. It would be better for the US to have Al-Sadr as an
ally, than as a foe, and surely we can find common ground with Al-Sadr
as a basis for doing business.
Regards,
LelandJ
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