May 25, 2007

Look Who's Showing His Face Again

After an absence of almost four months from public life, Moqtada al-Sadr finally surfaced in the city of Kufa today. He did his typical anti-US, anti-Israel rant at Friday prayers, the first time he has been seen in Iraq since before the surge:

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appeared in public for the first time in months on Friday and delivered a fiery anti-American sermon in the holy Shiite city of Kufa.

"No, no for the devil. No, no for America. No, no for the occupation. No, no for Israel," he chanted at the start of his speech. The roughly 6,000 worshippers in the mosque repeated after him.

Al-Sadr told the worshippers that "the occupation forces should leave Iraq," and condemned fighting between his Mahdi Army militia and Iraqi security forces, saying it "served the interests of the occupiers."

Al-Sadr had gone into hiding in Iran four months ago at the start of the Baghdad security crackdown, but U.S. military officials said early Friday that he had returned to the holy city of Najaf, where he has a house.

So why now? After all, Sadr had been mailing it in from Iran for four months, afraid that the US surge meant to target him personally. Even after he saw that it remained limited to Baghdad, Diyala, and Anbar and didn't involve Najaf, he kept out of sight and out of Iraq. It hardly presented a profile in courage for Iraqis, most of whose politicians and elected officers (including the Sadrists) remained where they were.

Typically, he sees an opportunity or two to feast off the misery of others. The AP reports that one rival on the Supreme Islamic Council of imams in Iraq has lung cancer and had to go to Iran himself for medical treatment. Sadr wants to replace him as leader of the council while he's weak. Also, many people question whether the Maliki government will survive, and even though Maliki allied himself with Sadr politically, Sadr wants to be in position to exploit Maliki's weakness as well.

One other point in this article bears criticism. Sinan Salaheddin, writing for the AP, asserts that the "Mahdi Army fought U.S. troops to a virtual standstill in 2004". That's ludicrous. The US beat the Mahdis badly enough that Sadr had to sue for peace through his rival, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. As part of that surrender, Sadr had to pull the Mahdis out of Kufa and Najaf and had to promise to work within the political system instead of conducting military attacks against it. The only "standstill" came when Sadr got trapped by the collapse of his militia in Najaf and had to cut a deal to survive.

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Comments (20)

Posted by stackja1945 [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 25, 2007 6:20 AM

AP Iraqi reporting has always been absurdly ridiculous. Nice to know it continues to uphold its "reputation".

Posted by Keemo | May 25, 2007 6:20 AM

Why is this man still alive? Two words come to mind "room temperature"...

Posted by Lightwave | May 25, 2007 6:42 AM

With the Mehdi Army coming apart at the seams, Mookie had to fly the colors eventually.

Agreed, now that he's back in town, we need to make sure he never goes back to Iraq.

Except in a box.

Posted by Jason B | May 25, 2007 7:24 AM

Sadr usually has very good- and lucky- political timing. Either it's run out on him (and the Iranians dumped him when the realized he's never going to give them the goods), or he's gone back to try to hoodwink the media and the Iraqi government (again).

If it's the latter, then the time is right for him to come back- the Dems just pushed for renewing the war effort (at least through the rest of this year) which means that Petraeus will get his chanc to kick ass and take names. And if Michael Yon's right about how quiet the Anbar province is, Sadr and his terrorist buddies are in trouble.

Hence the potential need for him to hoodwink people again. Maybe even cut a deal with the Iraqi government (which I doubt). Only with Petraeus in charge, that just means he gets a big bright neon target silhouette around him.

Jason B

Posted by Angry Dumbo | May 25, 2007 7:27 AM

Time for al Maliki to show he is the strong horse.

Just do it.

Posted by howard lohmuller | May 25, 2007 7:37 AM

Maybe the Iran Mullacracy is starting to feel the pressure of an Amertican Fleet off its shore, progress for our side in Iraq and a failing Al Queda, not to mention a couple of internal insugencies inside Iran. So they ordered Sadr to go back to Iraq and help out, earn his keep.

Posted by MikeD | May 25, 2007 8:55 AM

If the US was truly serious about resolving the situation of Iraq we would simply find a way (there are many available) to make Muqtada al-Sadr die. Yes, Keemo, room temperature! Call me when we finally decide to stop being "nice" and do what is necessary.

Posted by Paul A'Barge | May 25, 2007 9:47 AM

Kill him. Now.

Posted by mojo | May 25, 2007 10:16 AM

He stuck his head up, so whack him.

Posted by Dale in Atlanta | May 25, 2007 10:23 AM

He came back, because his follower's are starting to abandon him, to make up with their fellow Iraqis, the Sunnis, Sunnis and Shi'ites kiss and make up, and he risks becoming irrelevant!

We should've killed him 4 years ago, it was a mistake we didn't.

He's an Iraqi by blood and birth, but theologically from the Qomi (Iranian) Usuli Ithna Asheri Khomeni-style of "activist" Shi'ism; otherwise known as "dangerous"!

Conversly, Ayatollah Sistani, is Iranian by blood and birth, but is from the An Najaf (Iraqi) "quietist" style of Shi'ism, i.e. he beliefs there is no room in Politics, for Religion (I personally think he is a closet "Akhbari" Ithna Asheri myself, but I'll argue that at some later date; it's hard to tell with Shi'ites, they practice
Taqiya">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taqiya">Taqiya in everything they do, so you can never tell when they are telling the truth, or playing to their "audience", or lying to you because you are an infidel or apostate! It's a Sunni practice as well, but Sunnis lie about practicing "Taqiya", whereas Shias are more forthcoming about it!"

Posted by Dale in Atlanta | May 25, 2007 10:27 AM

Okay, I'll try that last one, one more time!

Taqiya

Posted by lexhamfox | May 25, 2007 11:08 AM

I don't beleive that the Mehdi Army is coming apart at teh seams as some have suggested. They have deliberately maintained a low profile and very recently, seem to be more active again in the death squad business.

The real news for me was the killing of one of the senior leaders of the Mehdi's by Iraqi security forces. They had British troops in support but they did the business which hopefully indicates that there is some resolve to rid the country of these guys among the security forces and the political leadership.

Let's hope things go well.

Posted by NahnCee [TypeKey Profile Page] | May 25, 2007 12:17 PM

Maybe the Iran Mullacracy is starting to feel the pressure of an Amertican Fleet off its shore, progress for our side in Iraq and a failing Al Queda, not to mention a couple of internal insugencies inside Iran. So they ordered Sadr to go back to Iraq and help out, earn his keep.

This was sort of my thinking, too, except I was thinking that the Mad Mullah's are offering Sadr up to the Americans to kill, as a sacrificial sop to keep us from going after Iran themselves.

In any case, I'm sure Iran told Sadr to "go", and he's not at all happy about it.

I do think he should also suffer a fatal accident very very soon.

Posted by David C | May 25, 2007 1:15 PM

I agree with NahnCee, it sounds to me like the Iranians were getting tired of paying Mookie's substantial food bills if he's just going to sit on his ass instead of causing trouble and fomenting rebellion like they're paying him to do.

Posted by David C | May 25, 2007 1:30 PM

I agree with NahnCee, it sounds to me like the Iranians were getting tired of paying Mookie's substantial food bills if he's just going to sit on his ass instead of causing trouble and fomenting rebellion like they're paying him to do.

Posted by David C | May 25, 2007 1:48 PM

I agree with NahnCee, it sounds to me like the Iranians were getting tired of paying Mookie's substantial food bills if he's just going to sit on his ass instead of causing trouble and fomenting rebellion like they're paying him to do.

Posted by mrlynn | May 25, 2007 2:45 PM

This Sadr is the head of a militia that is guilty of numerous murders. If al Maliki has any power at all, he'll have Sadr arrested, quickly tried, and executed. If not, time to declare martial law, dissolve the Iraqi parliament, and appoint a military governor until the country is secure.

I think at this point even the Iraqi people would welcome a crackdown on the militias and suicide bombers.

/Mr Lynn

Posted by courtneyme109 | May 25, 2007 4:51 PM

Reckon Mookie's followers will be so ready to die like the Mahdi Army 1.0 (Najaf), 2.0(Karbala) and 3.0(Sadr City)?

Or is this Iran's way of showing her fangs especially since we hear Iran has a 'summer offensive' (Karbala VI?) to unleash soon.

Time for Mookie to enter the Perfumed Halls of Allah and the silken embrace of the dark eyed ones.

Posted by Anthony (Los Angeles) | May 25, 2007 5:51 PM

He's back? Cool! Our snipers could use some target practice.

Posted by Mark Stewart | May 26, 2007 8:25 AM

Snatch him.
Shoot him.
Dump him in the street.