Shiite Militias Cling to Swaths of Basra and Stage Raids

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

BAGHDAD — Shiite militiamen in Basra openly controlled wide swaths of the city on Saturday and staged increasingly bold raids on Iraqi government forces sent five days ago to wrest control from the gunmen, witnesses said, as Iraqi political leaders grew increasingly critical of the stalled assault.

Witnesses in Basra said members of the most powerful militia in the city, the Mahdi Army, were setting up checkpoints and controlling traffic in many places ringing the central district controlled by some of the 30,000 Iraqi Army and police forces involved in the assault. Fighters were regularly attacking the government forces, then quickly retreating.

Senior members of several political parties said the operation, ordered by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, had been poorly planned. The growing discontent adds a new level of complication to the American-led effort to demonstrate that the Iraqi government had made strides toward being able to operate a functioning country and keep the peace without thousands of American troops.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/world/middleeast/30iraq.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

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Hmm, a "go it alone" leader criticized for his poor military planning? Sounds like Iraq has progressed to parity with us...

[pfitz59]

1. Misleading headline....

Militia's control the city. US supported Iraqi army clings to narrow swaths!

[FreeStateDemocrat]

4. Absolutely right, reading it alone leads one to assume militia are about to be defeated, M$M bs.

[Adsos Letter]

2. So...this becomes our excuse for staying in Iraq...n/t

[saigon68]

3. Yes, Its pretty pathetic--Isn't It ?

More lies for the SHEEP to digrest