Iraqi Shi'ite Cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr To Disarm If U.S. Withdraws On Timetable

Influential Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr would dissolve his Mehdi Army militia if the United States starts withdrawing troops according to a set timetable, a spokesman said.

The statement comes at a crucial point in talks between Baghdad and Washington over a new security pact that will provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to operate in Iraq when a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[LITU]

"Start withdrawing, and I'll start disarming" Seems like a reasonable request. And the alternative would be? Continue to stay and we'll continue to fight.

[danoj]

As if this nut is in a position to dictate anything at this point. They should have took him out a few years ago when they had the chance. he has been a thorn in the Iraqi governments side ever since. Now he's hiding in Iran and trying to dictate his terms when the Iraqi military is in control of Sadr city. This guy is a nut, and I have no clue why he makes headlines anymore.

[openhand]

what you dont understand is that he is angry, not mad. the west has a history of sublime hypocrisy, and extreme violence founded on the battering ram that we know what is best for them is best for us.

the u.s. and u.k owe the people of iraq and the rest of the oppressed world a debt they will never pay, not because they cant, but because they have no clue. enjoy the spotless mind.

[danoj]

We oew the world nothing homy. We been bailing the worlds collective arse out since WWII. All you blame america first and just straight up america haters understand this. Without the US the world would be one giagantic sh*t hole. We show up kick the dictators, out help rebuild, and leave. America is the most noble country in all of mans history on Earth.

[Ray46]

They should include his picture in the dictionary

wild-eyed
adj.
1. Glaring in or as if in anger, terror, or madness.
2. Extreme and passionate in belief or advocacy: a wild-eyed nationalist; hatched a wild-eyed scheme.

[CrittersRTasty]

Agreed. That is one creepy looking dude!

[openhand]

how would they file g w bush? this is a big story only because its been printed now, but has been the case for the last few years. no one here cared to ask what they want. one of the greatest crimes in u.s. history and its a liberian and serbian siting in the hague and this level of debate here. robert jackson is turning in his grave.

[trudem2]

Okay,...... so the surge has worked. Well now let's get the hell out of there and give the Iraqis back their country, and give America back its sons and daughters!

[CrittersRTasty]

Believe it or not, I think we AGREE!
neat!

[booker52]

Time horizon, a time frame that will be never met. How about Sunset, the end of the day if this WH is so set on naming every event in this war. How about we agree to leave?? How about we have the government of Iraq agree to give the US back the cost of this war?? They have billions sitting in our banks. They can afford it. I say we quit, call it good, get back the cost of the war in money, leave them to it.

[lenski]

I see lots of commentary from many quarters stating, I believe correctly, that the surge was helpful. The fact that the surge was helpful has never, to the best of my knowledge, been questioned.

Multiple people, several of them general officers who were ignored by the incompetents in the white house and even more incompetent political civilians in the pentagon who should have known better, said quite clearly that the original force level should have been much much greater than what we sent over there. The consequences of being undermanned and underequipped cost many lives, both American and Iraqi.

I see NOBODY providing convincing evidence that the surge was NECESSARY in 2007 after so much damage had been done by the miserably incompetent job done by the civilian "leadership".

The Anbar Awakening and several other successful processes to persuade the Iraqi local leaders to come together, began with the wonderfully successful efforts of mid-level officers such as colonel MacFarland. He had already been rotated back to the states before the surge began. (my apologies to those involved if this is incorrect. I did do a search, and I am sure there are many others who were similarly able to get things going in the right direction.) Those guys are, in my opinion, the real heroes of the Iraq debacle.

[Redrover666]

Incorrect, on the surge remark. As recently as last week, Obama couldn't admit it was effective until asked ten or twelve times and pushed into a corner. Even then, he couldn't give but only partial credit to our soldiers WHO were the surge.

You have basically done the same thing. As an armchair general, looking at this in retrospect, it's remarkable how easy it is to see the right path and criticize those on the ground doing the best they could at the time. Generals included.

[lenski]

Drop the RW talking point.

Nobody sane has criticized the people on the ground doing the best they could, and the soldiers stuck with surge duty have indeed done well.

Question: What sane field officer would refuse additional fighting personnel to achieve the goal?

Answer: None. So it goes without saying that the field officers responsible for the occupation OF COURSE would welcome additional troops!

You are not responding to the point, though. Let's try again. Document the necessity of a surge when much of the progress attributed to the surge began before the surge did. For extra credit, document the wisdom of beginning the war with a force that experienced general officers knew, long beforehand, would be insufficient. Eric Shinseki was neither the first (by many years) nor the last experienced general officer who believed that the invasion force of 140,000 would be insufficient to manage the post-invasion occupation.

Armchair general, indeed! I would sell things that don't belong to me (soul, body parts) to not be discussing this colossal blunder that our "leadership" got us into. They started it, we are paying for it in myriad ways and it will continue to cost Americans dearly for many years. It has and will cost our military members far more dearly for far more years.

[goldenshaman]

One of the minor (?) scandals in Iraq was that a large quantity of small arms intended for the the new Iraqi military had gone missing.

The significance of this is that should the people who have those weapons decide to go to war with us they will be able to use ammunition that they capture from us.

In Vietnam large amounts of supplies used by the Viet Cong were stolen from our supply depots.

[AzRealProgressive]

We use different ammunition in our weapons than they use in theirs. Ours will not work in theirs, and theirs will not work in ours. And weapons are available most anywhere in that region of the world.

[CrittersRTasty]

The US also ran a progam in Viet Nam where they inserted booby trapped ammo into NVA ammo dumps.
The intent was apparently to cause them to question the safety of their own weapons and ammo.

[GoreSavingPlanetForJesus]

So many idiots said the surge wouldn't work.

So many of those idiots are flip flopping and publicly saying the surge HAS worked.

The logical next step is that these idiots will try to accept credit for it, or look ridiculous and say "knowing what I know now, I would still vote against this successful mission).

In the world of liberals, success is evil.

How DARE the media report this progress. How dare CNN, FOX, and ABC report positive news. Don't they know how important bad news is for the election of our messiah Barack.

How awful that any positive news in the world exist. We should all suffer equally, like liberals want us to!

Waaaaaaa sob sob waaaaaaa!

[sawdustinhershoes]

Your panties are showing.

[GoreSavingPlanetForJesus]

Keep your day job making french fries at McDonalds.

Comedy is not for you.

[danoj]

O already has tried to take credit for the surge. Didn't he say something to the effect that he and other dems speaking out has forced the Iraqis to step up to the plate. Not exact words but something to that end, and I think HRC just outright took credit for the surge.

[goldenshaman]

The surge failed because the surge never ended. The number of troops we have in Iraq now is more than before the surge- the surgers have not been brought back. What really happened was escalation.

[craneman]

ok, so now that the surge has worked, why are we not declaring victory & leaving ?

[edwarvir]

GoreSavingPlanetForJesus Do You know what the Surge is? The Surge is a paid
cease fire. Stop paying and they go back to fighting, the deal ends at the
end of this year. Oh bright one. They want us out. If you have family fighting
this Oil war you want them home safe and sound understand. Senator O
wants what is best for this Country. He is not interested in aruging about a word.
If it will make little Johnny war monger feel better. The surge worked now show
me the MONEY.

[ChewTwo]

Ok, general them on here is that we are now following OBs plan, and repubs suck.

I thought OB's plan was to get out in a time frame, regardless of facts and circumstances, because its the party line (regardless of progress, recommendations of the right folks, etc.), and that will get him X number of votes...

Looks like we are negotiating a withdrawal, based on the recommendation of the Iraq government and applicable facts and circumstances. Never heard OB mention talking to the prime minister, just getting the F out...

I don't see the parallel. I might have missed something though... I only mention this because believe it or not, OB is playing politics just like everyone else, don't kid yourself otherwise. Don't be blind.

[Roguewolf]

He is a has been hiding in Iran.

[totaldisbelief]

Nobody that is winning disarms.....period

[sawdustinhershoes]

disarms? We're not talking about disarming. We're talking about leaving and letting the Iraqis have their country back without a permanent US presence. Just like they asked.

[shades3]

What is being won, totaldisbelief and who is winning it.

[Agent420]

Censors suck! You? If the shoe fits, wear it.

[Agent420]

What an ugly dude and look at those eyes. There is some serious problems behind those eyes.

[totaldisbelief]

Yeah...our problems
ask yourself why hasn't the US taken him out?

[Rule Of Law]

If anyone here still believes that wars "promote democracy" or the economy is really a "free market", or that we're not all being kept as pets for the Elites to insure that they amass even greater fortunes, try your hand at predicting the future. It's fun, and educational.

Look for continuing drops in the price of oil,
a peace accord with Israel and the Palestinians,
the outbreak of new hostilities somewhere (Oh, look--it's Russia and Georgia!)
A ramping up of suspicion and condemnation of China re our debt and their ownership of it--after the olympics, of course,
a renewed terrorist threat against the US or even England or some other country, but to the same effect.
Oh, and the Economy will have a miraculous healing between now and election day, but after that, whooo boy, look out.

[ChewTwo]

Good things come from war, including the opportunity for democracy as applicable.

We are in a free market, or about as close as is practical. (look for the shift away from this beginning 09, thank you O lam a)

Not everything is a conspiracy.

[Rule Of Law]

Good things come from war...

You have really got to be kidding. War is immoral. As for a free market--when there is no longer socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor, then, maybe, we will have something approximating a free market.

[goldenshaman]

If we have won then they must be ready for the victory parade. Anyone know when that is?

[sowhatdemos]

Yes! 1-25-09, as soon as they have a few days to make SURE shrub is gone and Barack Obama, the true leader of the free world, is firmly in place.
I trust and believe in B to make the correct choices, something I have not been able to say for DECADES!!!

[totaldisbelief]

Gosh ....weren't we waiting for a victory parade when we went into Iraq years ago ?