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U.S. Aircraft Fire Rockets at Targets in Najaf, AFP Reports
Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. aircraft fired rockets at targets in the Iraqi city of Najaf, a day after clashes with Shiite Muslim militiamen, Agence France-Presse reported, citing its correspondent in the city.
Power and telephone lines have been cut in the city where militiamen are on the streets, AFP cited the correspondent as saying. At least seven fighters were killed in clashes in Najaf yesterday, the U.S. military command said.
Violence has increased this week in Najaf, the site of Iraq's holiest Shiite Muslim shrine. Militiamen loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr staged uprisings in Najaf and Baghdad's Sadr City in April.
Six hours of gun battles yesterday with Shiite Muslim militiamen in Sadr City and other areas of Baghdad left 15 U.S. soldiers wounded, AFP cited the U.S. military command as saying. In one incident, five soldiers were wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade fired at their position in Sadr City, the military said, according to AFP. Seven soldiers were hurt in central Baghdad and three others elsewhere in the city.
DKSuddeth said:wipe out sadr's little militia. then we can concentrate on restoring some order in najaf and focus on al-zarqawi and exterminate his little wanna be terror force.
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drac said:I am not sure if direct confrontation with people like Sadr is wise. It seems to raise his status in the eyes of some iraqis and leads more people to recognize him/join him (think like a free ad on tv). They should minimize him and his influence by doing more covert actions against him. (but then i guess it is easy to say it sitting infront of the computer
drac said:I am not sure if direct confrontation with people like Sadr is wise. It seems to raise his status in the eyes of some iraqis and leads more people to recognize him/join him (think like a free ad on tv). They should minimize him and his influence by doing more covert actions against him. (but then i guess it is easy to say it sitting infront of the computer
Pale Rider said:On the other hand, it also sends the message to wannabe followers of Sadr, that if you take up with this little piss ant, the American military with blow your ass off. That's gotta count for something too.
freeandfun1 said:The Iraqis are BEGGING us to help get rid of Al Sadr. He is not getting a huge following.
drac said:Perhapse you are right, i remember reading different things at the begining. At first it was: all shites muslims likes us very much in iraq, when boom we got Sadr. Then i thought well he is just a little known guy, so basically just bunch of thugs, then i start seeing articles where people in iraq wanted to know more about him, his popularity increased and now he has some weight in iraqi's politics, his army is like 15-30 000 people.
I am all for getting this guy off the stage, i am just thinking that maybe a more subtle way of doing it is better
freeandfun1 said:The problem is that the Iranians are backing this guy and from what I understand, a lot of his "soldiers" are Iranian Shiites and not Iraqis.
drac said:I read about him being supported by iran, but are you seriously think that most of his "soldiers" are iranians? It will be very dangerous for him. Have you seen any articles about it?
agree, my thinking exactly. the estimate i provided was based on info from yahoo news, it might not be exact. i read about him being backed by iranians, i was doubting the previous statement that most of his army is iranian basedJIHADTHIS said:There are articles out their re: Sadr being backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. If no one else beats me to it, I will post some links for you later on.
I think your 15-30000 estimate of Mehdi army soldiers is high. Unfortunately he draws from a largely poor, mostly uneducated group of people who buy into his rhetoric. I would venture that his "officers" are Iranian or Iranian trained, and the "grunts" are the Iraqis I mention above. We have killed lots of these guys, and they haven't got the message.
The longer Sadr can thumb his nose at the Iraq government, the higher standing he will get amongst his followers and those seeking 72 virgins. If he was purely into it for his own power or greed so to speak, he has been given many chances to come to the table and be placated. With his on again, off again anti government rants, you would have to suspect that someone is pulling his strings. If that's the case and he won't fall in line, then he will have to be eliminated from the picture.
If you read some of the Iraqi blogs, you can see that some Iraqis are getting fed up with his crap, hopefully it will be enough to take him out on their own.
