Rice in Iraq as al-Sadr warns of new war

[Gunny]

Associated Press
updated 10:51 a.m. CT, Sun., April. 20, 2008

BAGHDAD - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Baghdad Sunday, just as the military reported an "uptick" in fighting and after new clashes broke out in Baghdad’s Sadr City district. The clashes followed a warning by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that he will declare war if a crackdown against his followers persists.

Rice said her trip was intended to promote fresh political gains she sees to be flowing from the government-led assaults on radical militias.

Rice told reporters she sees signs that last month’s assaults on militia forces in Basra have brought sectarian and ethnic groups together in an unprecedented way, and she said she wants to capitalize on that cohesion.

Loud explosions were heard in central Baghdad as rockets or mortar shells were fired toward the U.S.-protected Green Zone as Rice was meeting with top Iraqi officials there. The area has faced regular shelling since the current tensions erupted last month.

Also Sunday, Iraqi security forces gained control of the last Mahdi Army stronghold in Basra and began setting up bases and checkpoints.

Lt. Gen. Ali Ghaidan, a commander of the operation, said troops had recovered large caches of weapons during door-to-door searches of Hayaniyah, scene of some of the bitterest fighting last month.

Battle at Sadr City checkpoint
The deadliest battle in Sadr City occurred just before 8 a.m. when gunmen attacked a U.S. checkpoint with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells, a military spokesman said.

The Americans fought back, killing the seven militants, then shot to death two Iraqi snipers firing at them from a nearby rooftop as local nationals arrived to remove the bodies, according to the spokesman, Lt. Col. Steve Stover.

more ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24223821/

Somebody needs to inform these troops they are actually losing.

 

[onedomino]

Somebody needs to inform these troops they are actually losing.

Yes, I was reading about this earlier. Certainly the US Military has wanted to take out al-Sadr for a long time. But I am surprised at the roll of the dice by Maliki. He has shown some nerve. He appears to believe that there can only be one Shiite leader left standing. And he is trying to make sure it is him. I think he will continue to press, unless al-Sadr's Mahdi Amry lays down it weapons, which has next to no chance of happening. Thus the fight has a strong chance of becomming very intense throughout the Summer with the US backing Maliki and Iran backing al-Sadr. I hope the US has combat aircraft flying up and down the Iraq-Iran border 24/7 to interdict supplies coming from Iran bound for al-Sadr.

 

[Gunny]

Yes, I was reading about this earlier. Certainly the US Military has wanted to take out al-Sadr for a long time. But I am surprised at the roll of the dice by Maliki. He has shown some nerve. He appears to believe that there can only be one Shiite leader left standing. And he is trying to make sure it is him. I think he will continue to press, unless al-Sadr's Mahdi Amry lays down it weapons, which has next to no chance of happening. Thus the fight has a strong chance of becomming very intense throughout the Summer with the US backing Maliki and Iran backing al-Sadr. I hope the US has combat aircraft flying up and down the Iraq-Iran border 24/7 to interdict supplies coming from Iran bound for al-Sadr.

IMO, Iraqi forces needs to step up and bear the brunt of any fighting with the US playing more of a support role. Good a time as any to start making the transition.