Third Day Of Fighting Takes Over Iraq

Intense fighting between Iraqi Shiite militiamen and US And Iraqi forces has been raging in Iraq over the past three days. The fighting threatens to end a Mahdi Army cease-fire that is credited for many security gains in Iraq. Below are a couple reports on the violence and discontent throughout the country:

AP: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Says He'll Pursue Fight To "The End"

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is promising to pursue his fight against Shiite militias in Basra to "the end."

Al-Maliki made his pledge to Basra area tribal leaders Thursday as military operations against the militias continued for a fourth day despite stiff resistance.

AP: Green Zone Hit For Fourth Day This Week:

Shiite militants are hammering the U.S.-protected Green Zone with rockets and mortars for the fourth day this week.

Thick, black smoke is billowing from inside the heavily fortified home to the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government.

AP: Tens Of Thousands Of Shiites Protest:

Tens of thousands of Shiites took to Baghdad's streets to protest the government crackdown on militias in Basra as heavy fighting between Iraqi security forces and gunmen erupted for a third day in the southern oil port and the capital.

Iraqi officials reported 17 more people killed in overnight clashes in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City and raised the number of deaths from fighting in the southern city of Hillah to at least 60.

Mounting anger focused on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who is personally overseeing an operation against Shiite militias dominated by followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr amid a violent power struggle in Basra, Iraq's southern oil hub near the Iranian border.

Comments

[cathleen]

Over a million Iraqi people dead, tens of thousands injured, millions of Iraqi people displaced. The Bush administration radicals (Feith, Woolsey, Cheney, Bolton, Wolfowitz etc) should be tried for war crimes. Anyone who lied, created and dessiminated false intelligence about Iraq should be tried at the Hague.

May they reap what they have sown.

[Stanley]

The best part is we paid Al Sadre over $330 million to pipe down ...er...um­mm...I mean for reconstruction. I guess bribing thugs only goes so far these days. Say, how did he afford to buy those rockets and guns killing our soldiers anyway? Hmmm. Perhaps it came from the $330 million? Quite a strategy to win, eh? We pay our enemies to acquire the means to defeat us and then say we can't leave defeated or those same guys will be the new terrorists. What was it that was yelled out at Saddam's hanging??? That's right ... "Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada!" Must just be a coincidence eh?? How did the guy organizing the destruction of what we ave been fighting and paying so dearly for, get his henchmen to carry out Saddam's hanging? So now we are paying and arming the Sunni's but are trying to avert civil war??? This is all so bizarre and surreal! We're hopelessly addicted to oil and then pay the oil pimps who finance the terrorists to cause political instability, thereby raising the price of oil. We do nothing about the addiction but make the local oil pushers in charge of the governement. The only winners are the oil and military industrialists and the oil sheiks and newly-armed armies to supress people with. This had to do with Bin Laden and 911 .... how? So this is really about the hubris and greed of diabolical morons, thugs and despots who are all in cahoots.

[williamg]

BAGHDAD (AFP)--A spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, Tahsin al-Sheikhly, was kidnapped from his Baghdad home by armed men on Thursday, security officials told AFP.

The officials said Sheikhly, who spoke on civic matters related to the security plan launched in February last year, was abducted from his home in Baghdad's al-Amin neighborhood at around 2:30 pm (1130 GMT).

"Armed men stormed his home at a time when there were clashes in his neighborhood," a security official with the interior ministry said.

"They burnt his home and stole two cars and weapons before fleeing with him."


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

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[markusmarkus]

I bet that Sen. John Mc100YearsWar thinks we're "making real progress. I don't care what the facts are."

[31313]

Just think only 95 year's left,and it'll all be over.well maybe.

[HumeSkeptic]

I admire your optimism.

[Whinger]

Well George, Dick, John and Condi, whatever are you gonna do now cowboys?
There's only several tens of thousands on the warpath, nothing an ole Daisyclipper wouldn't sort, eh?
Anyway, just make sure the oil production is unaffected, after all, profit is the key to it all.

[Fitzy]

I listened to our President's speech on Iraq today. I think if things are going as well as he says, perhaps it's time to bring our boys home.

[IntelligentDesign]

Is it impeachment yet?

[oneeyedodin]

You hafta wait till Mac Insane becomes POTUS before impeachment proceedings can begin.

[feo]

Pre-emptive impreachment.

[WhoGetsYourVote]

When you quit being lazy and do something about it besides bitch from your sofa, maybe.

[McSurgent]

Obama has already said impeachment is off the table. Now you still have a chance to switch to Hillary and Bill!

[JohnFromCensornati]

I did not know that Obama & Nancy were the same person!

[IntelligentDesign]

Lie much?

[BryantG]

Impeachment is not the presidents call. It's up to congress.

[Ramirez]

Always! Just vote the Democrats into power and then call your Congressperson.

[ornery]

America must elect Barack Obama.

He is the only candidate who, as President, will carry on a new diplomacy in the Middle East.

Iran is riding high now, fueling the insurgency. Iran must feel immune from retaliation now that the sand is running out of Bush's hourglass.


Meanwhile, Iraq must look back on Saddam's days with a perverse nostalgia.

[vet64]

Vietnam ring a bell? Tet Offensive? Hue? The rebels blend in with the local population and hide out when the militarily superior Americans and their collaborators converge on any area. After they leave the rebels pop back out and begin the terror of bombings, assassinations of teachers, doctors, government officials, and any person perceived as a collaborator.
No justice for the 3,000 murdered American citizens on 9/11 because King Pinocchio quit looking for the 9/11 perpretrators.
No justice for the over 4,000 dead American Soldiers killed in Iraq because they died in a country with no ties to 9/11 on a everchanging basis of lies.
Vietnam is bankrupting the average American Citizens but the Neo Con owned Corporate pimps are laughing all the way to their offshore accounts, along with the Republican and Democratic Legislators who have prostituted their votes to enrich themselves and their Neo Con Corporate Pimps!

[MidSection]

CBS is reporting this morning that this is actually a fight between Shiites, with Sadr actually wanting the foreign fighters to leave. The Maliki government planned this attack on the breakaway militias and is actually in Basra overseeing this. CBS is reporting that Sadr is talking with the Iraqi government and the US military on expelling fighters and regaining control of his militia and stop the infighting and what would otherwise be the decimation of his forces.

I think that this is a good step froward. It shows that the Iraqi government is willing to show the people that it can be impartial and represent the entire population. God bless these courageous Iraqis fighting for their own country.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Which non-existent god are we asking for blessings today?

[McSurgent]

It's HuffPost so it must be Rev. Wright's !!!

[JoJoKewl]

Maliki has sided with the ISCI - al Hakim family and against Sadr and the Mahdis. What foriegn fighters are you talking about??? The Mahdis are Iraqis. Yer lost here son.

[BronxBorn]

Don't even mention that both Shiite parties are supported by Iran. the wingnuts heads will explode.
Also, under no circumstance, mention that the Sunnis are backed by the Saudis.

And really, really never ever say "War By Proxy"

[andyboy]

JoJo,

Mid-section and the neo-cons view war, bloodshed, refugees and anarchy as "good steps forward". Where are they marching to one wonders? Oh goody! Could be all-out civil war soon! Great success!

[MidSection]

CBS is reporting that the infighting in the mahdi army is by those that are not loyal to Sadr. These accoring to CBS are foreign fighters from neighboring countries, like Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia to name a few. So this infighting I think is pretty good news. It's a power struggle that Sadr wants to win. He wants to be part of the government and retain some power, otherwise his army (with US help) will flatten them.

[Blackspeare]

No doubt Sadr wants this to end. He knows the US as well as other factions within the Iraqi government are gunning for him. The longer this in-fighting goes on the shorter his life expectancy. Sadr stands as an impediment to total central government control.

[CarlsV]

Third Day Of Fighting Takes Over Iraq ... repugs think that's political reconciliation.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

Time to enlist trolls!!! Do not wait 40 years like Bush and then "be envious of those who confront danger in a romantic war". Your time is NOW!

[ResidentChimp]

HuffPo and the Huffers celebrate the terrorists' surge.

[CarlsV]

The bloods on your hands moron ...

[McSurgent]

Don't forget Hillary. Mustn't make Rev. Wright and Obama upset with you!!!!

[GarsLuber]

because, of course, bush's Iraq Oil War fiasco is the fault of liberals.

[writerjohnny]

Hey President Dubya, your screen name is way too obvious. Resident Chimp couldn't be anyone else.

[JohnFromCensornati]

When Muqtada is running the show in Iraq, will you still call him a terrist?

[BronxBorn]

Shiites fighting Shiites. Start from there.
Google, read, think.
Edumacate thineself.

[oneeyedodin]

See what it comes down to is this. The Bushpig's ClusterPhuck is your fault and the fault of all of us who were against the illegal invasion. The 'insurgents' absorb all the energy given off by us and use it to fight the American occupation. No screwup is ever the fault of Dubya.

[itmaybetoolate]

Why does the phrase "all hell breaks loose" keep coming to mind? Anyway, no one could have predicted this!

[elbowguts]

No one could've predicted this?!

Are you kidding? Didn't McCain just say that if the U.S. withdrew from Iraq there would be a civil war? Looks like he got at least part of it right.

[itmaybetoolate]

First, I was being sarcastic. Second, Many, many people knew this is what the result would be BEFORE jackass bush started this insane war. As for your comment about insane mccain, has the US withdrawn from Iraq? I missed that! What part did he get right? Predicting violence in Iraq is a pretty safe bet - might as well predict the sun will rise tomorrow.

[GarsLuber]

I suggest the President Bush put together an international coalition of concerned countries to combat the escalating violence..­. A coalition of the willing, if you will.

And it that doesn't work, perhaps an escalation of troops is needed. Something akin to a surge of military deploy.

That ought to take care of things.

[Ramirez]

I think we should give the Iraqi army ammo and air support and let em roll.

[31313]

Roll straight to the black market.Now that's "brilliant"

[GarsLuber]

That was done 5 years ago, and continued ever since

[andyboy]

Ramirez,

Your not considering one thing. What if they attack us? Quite a conundrum.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Ok. Will you be serving with them, or will you do a hitch with a mercenary company?

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[Jeff1958]

Great idea, maybe we can get Don Rumsfeld to deliver the goods. I hear he's got the necessary experience.

[syllepsis]

if we held a draft and sent 1.5 million soldiers to quell all this, that would work, until the expense of maintaining an army in hostile territory forced us out. As it is, the expense of our half-assed 'surge' sitting amidst these factions while smoke billows from the Green Zone would force a rational leader out, too, since we are not doing a damn bit of good. But we have no rational leadership.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

Billiant!