Redstate

Are the Sadrists our "enemy"?

They didn't attack us on 9-11. They weren't accused of planning terrorist attacks against America before the Iraq War started.

In fact, the Mahdi Army did not even exist before the fall of Saddam in 2003 and its replacement by the new provisional Iraqi government, chosen by the U.S.. Then, Muqtada al-Sadr claimed that this new provisional government lacked authority. He claimed his own movement was more legitimate, and that's what has set him off.

I don't know enough about this to call him our "enemy." With the breakdown of law and order after the fall of the Saddam regime, all kinds of criminal elements started taking root. Perhaps we can call the Sadrists a criminal gang and let it go at that.

Because they target and kill American troops. But it is a fine line to walk. They also hold more than 30 seats in the parliament, control the largest humanitarian organization in Iraq, and have a ton of political influence over the more poverty stricken Shia. So we can't just obliterate them (unfortunately). But they are definitely our enemy. Moqtada Sadr recently called for an "all out war against the US occupiers, until liberation." Hopefully the Iraqi government will force them out of the political spectrum along with the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National List. But that is just wishful thinking on my part. PM Nouri Al-Maliki is the Secretary General of the Dawa Party - a terrorist group that was responsible for killing American troops in Kuwait in 1983.

Killing American soldiers doesn't make somebody "our enemy" in the eyes of progressives. Bush lied, people died! </snark>

If they are shooting at our people, they're our "enemy".

I would also point out that the MSM's lack of willingness to use the term isn't restricted to the Sadrists.

but that's a riot! Welcome aboard, S9.

Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO

You are simply wrong about us ever "cleaning out Sadr City"... I don't think there has EVER been an agreement to allow US military forces to go wherever they wanted to in Sadr City. This was one of the conditions of the six month truce by Al Sadr and JAM. There have certainly never been JSS or other OPs set up in Sadr City like we have done in the entire rest of the country. And the reason they have made this agreement tonight is for excellent reasons- saving innocent lives of the Shia who hate the Mahdi Army but are trapped in their neighborhoods, whittling their strength and armaments, and getting the Iraqi Army official entrance into the entire district. A huge tactical and possibly strategic victory..

"Small town folks get bitter after which they cling to guns or religion, or antipathy to people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment, or anti-trade sentiment."

My unit was tasked with guarding IP stations in Sadr City in 2003/2004. I personally have been all over that area. In 2003/2004 no one was asking permission from militias to enter neighborhoods.

n/t

to trump the news reports.

Heck I will often argue with walls just to keep in practice

But you have excluded yourself and walls would probably make more sense.

Not In Your Name, benfranklin.

Ciao, apologist.

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

[gritting teeth]

Fair point. I've corrected.

Moe

PS: You fight dirty, man. :)

The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!

Well, it is true that Sentor Obama has a lot to contend with. Not only does he need to craft his policy positions around public opinion polls, but he's also tired from having travelled to 57 of the 60 states.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws

What country is he talking about? Eh, whatever. Hopeandchange, hopeandchange.

...which will give him what, around 16 more electoral votes (Illinois having the original two, plus the extra Senatorial representation of North Illinois, South Illinois, Corncornandmorecornland, Chicago, The Imperial Duchy of Wrigley Field, The Commonwealth of Nuclear Counties, Ditka, and Illinois II: The Reckoning)?

You guys are just getting outflanked left and right on the electoral map.

*He said that he'd visited all 57 states except one. That's a total of 58, not 60.

(-2.75, -4.92)

He said his staff hasn't let him visit Alaska and Hawaii, either, so that's two more states. :o)

Or was it Florida and Michigan? :P

I'm just glad I'll never been smart enough or rich enough to run for POTUS. To have every single utterance I made placed under a microscope would fill the 24/7 news cycle 3 times over.

So there's a total of 58 states. But he hasn't visited one. But he also hasn't visited Alaska or Hawaii. That indicates that either Hawaii or Alaska isn't a state, but there are still 58 states total? So Illinois is going to be divided into 10 parts? Or? Ugh, I don't know. Too late for logic puzzles.

(-2.75, -4.92)