March 25, 2008

Uh-Oh.

From McClatchy:

A cease-fire critical to the improved security situation in Iraq appeared to unravel Monday when a militia loyal to radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al Sadr began shutting down neighborhoods in west Baghdad and issuing demands of the central government.

Simultaneously, in the strategic southern port city of Basra, where Sadr's Mahdi militia is in control, the Iraqi government launched a crackdown in the face of warnings by Sadr's followers that they'll fight government forces if any Sadrists are detained. By 1 a.m. Arab satellite news channels reported clashes between the Mahdi Army and police in Basra.

And:

Pentagon officials said that military leaders are watching for any signs of backsliding as they consider whether to keep drawing down troops below pre-surge levels.

President Bush spoke about the death toll, saying, "One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come.' "

Even as he spoke, the situation on the ground was rapidly worsening.

On Sunday, a barrage of at least 17 rockets hit the heavily fortified Green Zone and surrounding neighborhoods, where both the U.S. and Iraqi government headquarters are housed, according to police. Most of them were launched from the outskirts of Sadr City and Bayaa, both Mahdi Army-controlled neighborhoods.

Let's all hope the cease-fire is holding.

3 comments:

  1. John K. says: President Bush is right about that. One day people will say exactly what he predicted. And a 2nd prediction, because I saw this happen, when that day occurs, left wing liberals will try to take credit for it. Just ask Rep. N Abercrombie (D-HI) of what a hypocrite the left can be in those cases.

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  2. John K. says: Someday everybody will want to look at my peenie! Lookie! Lookie! My peenie has more brains that me! Lookie! Lookie!

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  3. Instead of exploiting the suffering of innocent people, it never hurts to further evaluate the situation.

    For one thing, don't you think its entirely possible that some (actually, maybe all) of this JAM and Shiite militia violence can be traced back to Iran? Isn't it possible that the Iranians and their surrogate fighters are trying to make a statement?

    In your world, it doesn't work that way. You only listen to the things you want to hear, and tell the parts of the story that advance your agenda.

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