Okay, in life, there is often a story (which we get from the MSM) and then there's the REAL story which we often don't know until much later. The fact that Mookie al Sadr has offered up a truce with the Iraqi government and has offered to pull his troops off the streets of Sadr City and to some extent, Basra will be viewed in several ways. My take on it is this - Al Sadr is not dumb. Al Sadr more than likely has seen enough of U.S. operations in Iraq by now to know that with this latest action by his Mahdi militias, al Sadr himself was now in the cross hairs of Task Force 88 in Iraq. At the same time, for al Sadr to make another emergency retreat into the waiting arms of the mullahs in Iran would have more than likely destroyed any organization he had left.
From the article here at Breitbart:
Now, a few points that I think need mentioning:
1. If the Iraqi government enters into an "agreement" on stipulations put forth by al Sadr, this will give some credibility back to Mookie.
2. The Iraqis better understand that old Mookie has zero control over many of the Shiite gangs in Basra as well as the Iranian-backed cells there and also the Hizbullah Brigades of Iraq.
3. The dangerous ground tha al Sadr walks on is the fact that he doesn't control this violence completely and any flare ups will be blamed on him if he tries to portray himself as the head of it all - and he may still find himself on that Task Force 88 wanted poster.
If I was PM Maliki, I would sit down with the British and the Americans and work out a plan to gut Basra and Sadr City systematically - this scourge will never go away - it will be like forming a truce with Hamas in Gaza ...they lay their weapons down for two weeks then pick them up at the drop of a hat.
Maliki best not claim some kind of victory here as it could all blow up again in a matter of days.
From the article here at Breitbart:
BAGHDAD (AP) - The Iraqi government has welcomed an order by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his fighters off the streets.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Iraqi state TV in an interview that the decision is "positive and responsive."
Sunday's offer was contained in a nine-point statement issued by his headquarters in Najaf.
Now, a few points that I think need mentioning:
1. If the Iraqi government enters into an "agreement" on stipulations put forth by al Sadr, this will give some credibility back to Mookie.
2. The Iraqis better understand that old Mookie has zero control over many of the Shiite gangs in Basra as well as the Iranian-backed cells there and also the Hizbullah Brigades of Iraq.
3. The dangerous ground tha al Sadr walks on is the fact that he doesn't control this violence completely and any flare ups will be blamed on him if he tries to portray himself as the head of it all - and he may still find himself on that Task Force 88 wanted poster.
If I was PM Maliki, I would sit down with the British and the Americans and work out a plan to gut Basra and Sadr City systematically - this scourge will never go away - it will be like forming a truce with Hamas in Gaza ...they lay their weapons down for two weeks then pick them up at the drop of a hat.
Maliki best not claim some kind of victory here as it could all blow up again in a matter of days.
Shiite Cleric Al-Sadr Offers Iraq Truce
BAGHDAD (AP) - The Iraqi government has welcomed an order by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his fighters off the streets.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Iraqi state TV in an interview that the decision is "positive and responsive."
Sunday's offer was contained in a nine-point statement issued by his headquarters in Najaf.
Al-Sadr also called on the government to stop what he calls haphazard raids and release security detainees who haven't been charged.
Violent clashes have broken out over a government crackdown in the southern city of Basra.
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