Al-Sadr threatens to end cease-fire

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

BAGHDAD - Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is demanding the Iraqi government protect the public from "the booby traps and American militias" or he may formally end the freeze he imposed seven months ago on his Mahdi Army fighters.

The statement was being circulated to the press and public Tuesday as U.S. and Iraqi troops stepped up their pressure on Shiite militiamen in their Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City.

Al-Sadr also wants a timetable for the U.S. to leave Iraq.

Al-Sadr's cease-fire helped bring down violence but has been under severe strain since fighting broke out last month in Basra and Baghdad.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080408/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_sadr

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Iraq's Sadr Is In Iran Studying Theology, Academic Says - AFP



TEHRAN (AFP)--Radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iran where he is studying theology, a leading Iranian academic said on Tuesday.

"The presence of Mr Sadr in Iran is just for the study of religious jurisprudence and seminary studies," Mohammad Ali Mohtadi, a lecturer at the Iranian Foreign Ministry's university told the moderate news Web site Aftabnews.

Shiite fighters, including members of Sadr's Mahdi army, have in the last two weeks been involved in clashes with Iraqi government forces that have left hundreds dead.

The comments by Mohtadi, a well known analyst of Middle East affairs who regularly appears on state television, are the first time any Iranian figure has confirmed Sadr's presence in Iran.

more:http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080408%5cACQDJON200804080834DOWJONESDJONLINE000344.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=Iraq's%20Sadr%20Is%20In%20Iran%20Studying%20Theology,%20Academic%20Says%20-%20AFP

[Cooley Hurd]

1. It's been a cease-fire in name only...

...the Madhi millitia's still fighting (that's why US troop deaths continue).

[endarkenment]

4. Not really.

The militia has been observing a unilateral cease fire for seven months, as the article stated. US and US backed militias (i.e. the Iraqi Army) have not respected that cease fire, for example by launching operations in Basra against the Mehdi Army, and recently in Sadr City. As a consequence the Mehdi Army fought the Iraqi Army to a standoff in Basra, resumed operations against the green zone, and it seems bloodied our forces pretty well Sunday and Monday. Other than the green zone attacks, Al Sadr's forces appear to be constraining themselves to defensive operations. None of this would have happened at all had we just not attacked Basra and Sadr City to begin with.

[Tempest]

6. You're correct

The cease-fire held for 7 months and it was al-Maliki who broke it.

Maliki broke the cease-fire because al-Sadr was taking control of Basra, an important oil region and port. Rather than work on a political solution, Maliki (most likely with Bush's prodding) attacked Sadr's militia.

[H8fascistcons]

8. Time is Running out..

They have to crush Al Sadr before the criminal Fascist republicans leave office because he is the obstacle to the Fascists gaining control of Iraq's oil...

[acmavm]

2. I thought Maliki had given Al the word to cut it out or get out of

politics.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[acmavm]

5. Shoot, I wonder what I missed.

[Hissyspit]

7. Al-Sadr Threatens to End Cease-Fire

Source: Associated Press

Al-Sadr threatens to end cease-fire

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
52 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened Tuesday to lift a seven-month freeze on his Mahdi Army militia if the Iraqi government does not halt attacks on his followers or set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.

The statement came from his office hours before the top two U.S. officials in Iraq — Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker — planned to brief Congress on the situation in Iraq and prospects for drawing down American troops.

"I call on the Iraqi government, if it exists, to work for the protection of the Iraqi people, stop the bloodshed and the abuse of its honor," al-Sadr said. "If the public interest dictates the lifting of the freeze to achieve our goals, beliefs, religion, principles and patriotism we shall do that later."

U.S. and Iraqi troops stepped up their pressure on Mahdi Army militiamen in their Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City, where fighting broke out again early Tuesday after Iraqi units tried to enter the area, a police officer said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080408/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq