U.S. Troops Hone In On Sadr City

Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr Blames Iraqi Troubles On U.S. Forces As Troops Start To Occupy His Stronghold

(CBS)  In his first interview since the U.S. troop surge began, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr went on state-run TV and blamed all of Iraq's problems on the U.S. forces.

If there were no tanks and no fighting jets, there would be no violence in Iraq, he said.

That's ironic coming from the leader of the country's most notorious militia, the Mehdi Army, CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan said.

Sadr's comments are being watched closely by U.S. intelligence, because he's the one man in Iraq who can single-handedly affect the success of the U.S. surge. That's why U.S. troops have finally moved into Sadr City, setting up a joint-security station just on the edge of Sadr's Baghdad stronghold.

From there, the U.S. military says, it now controls about a quarter of Sadr City, a sprawling urban slum that's home to nearly 3 million people.

Video from the U.S. military shows an American attack helicopter destroying rockets set up to fire at the Green Zone from a soccer field next to Sadr City.

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne have also started projects to clean up the streets and improve living conditions for the residents. But the top Iraqi general working with them admits Sadr City's local leaders won't even talk to the U.S. soldiers.

Col. John Castles of the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division says that's because they've been intimidated by extremist elements of Sadr's militia. But he's hoping to overcome that.

"What I would like to see is a closer relationship, particularly with the some of the local government, and try to expand what we can do in this area beyond the quarter where we are now to all the way through," Castles said.

So far Sadr has tolerated the U.S. presence and avoided direct military confrontation. That may change as U.S. forces continue to target his militia and move deeper into his home base.

[hrdstonewall]

Sadr! You will have a JDAM embedded in your brain soon! Take that up to your Allah and tremble, you scum!

[cbs_oliver]

Some folks seem to have trouble coming to grips with the idea that Iraq is not one of the states of the United States.

Col John Castles needs to come home where he belongs and where folks actually like him and get involved in good deeds here rather than causing trouble in Iraq.

[tbweb]

The problem with powerful Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is the scope of his view. Muqtada al-Sadr is only concerned about Shiites whereas Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's scope is concern for all of Iraqi's including Shiites! If you're not a Shiite Muqtada al-Sadr could care less about you, not good, because Muqtada al-Sadr has the Mahdi Army to destroy and eliminate you if you're not a Shiite! Is it any wonder Shiite Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad loves, finances and supports this guy? They both have Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in their sights and can't wait until the U.S. leaves Iraq to do him in!

[infidel_us]

US troops need to be honing in on Muqtada (Mookie) al-Sadr! Once he's in hell where he belongs, we can start mopping up the rest.

[ioweign]

Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - Boy, a Gilette razor, a couple of bars of Irish Spring and some/lots of hot water. Can you imagine no air conditioning, 100F and listening to his BS and smelling it too!!!

[waterboy074]

If Congress would just impeah Bush I think everyone including the Repub's on this site will be happy.

Agree?

[mudrose-2009]

You know, some US cities like New Orleans or Los Angeles have huge crime/murder rates. Wouldn't it be great if a country like, say, Canada would decide it's in their (and our) best interest to send 150,000 univited troops to the US to take control of the security in those cities, appoint mayors and bomb neighborhoods where the criminals hang out? I'm sure we'd welcome them as liberators and saviours since we'd realize they can better handle our problems for us because of their superior culture, religion, ideology, etc.
Posted by woozybarnes

Sure, sure, but they'd have to ask their equivalent of Congress to give them the go-ahead to do so. Unless you think we didn't ask ours?

[elgraz]

You have a *** in your brain amigo. You comparing oranges and grapes.

[elgraz]

The word is exterminated and not controlled for Sadr.

[elgraz]

Bozo Bush got us into this mess. What a legacy he will leave!!!!!!!!!

[sevenveils]

Iraq will be a peace As soon as the likes of Sadr and his illegal terrorist group funded by Iranians are brought under control.

When that peace arrives in Iraq, the US can go home.

[mudrose-2009]

Now that Al-Sadr is contained in Sadr City, watched and guarded, perhaps we can get a handle on the munitions that are coming from Iran with his help to kill our troops. If he opens his mouth one more time, I suggest we hang him.

[mudrose-2009]

AND ONE MORE THING MOUTHBREATHER..AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION and the second amendment does not allow you to have guns READ THE *** I NG THING...ALL OF THE SENTANCE NOT PART OF IT... G O D D A M M YOU!!!!!!!!
Posted by draugwolf

In answer to the later first, since you feel that we are not a Christian Nation......With the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson created a succinct yet eloquent affirmation of human rights and natural law. In the Declaration's second paragraph, Jefferson wrote: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable [inalienable] Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...."

And in Answer to your Second Amendment II (the Second Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, declares a well well regulated militia as "being necessary to the security of a free State", and prohibits Congress from infringement of "the right of the people to keep and bear arms."

Seems to me that the Founders seemed to think we were a christain nation and the right of the people to keep and bear arms says I can own my own gun, too. Yup, God, County and Guns. The American Way.

What are you on?

[draugwolf]

AND XAVIAR WE DONT HAVE TIME TO PROTEST THAT...WITH DRAFT DODGERS AND HOLY ROLLERS AND HAPPY CLAPPERS AND TORTURE BOY SAYING I DONT RECALL SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES ... SPEWING THEIR INTOLERANCE ALL OVER THE PLACE ... DO ME A FAVOR GET PRESIDENT CHUCKLE NUTS TO STOP THUMPING HIS BIBLE AND MAYBE READ THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE FOR A CHANGE....AND ONE MORE THING MOUTHBREATHER..AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION and the second amendment does not allow you to have guns READ THE *** I NG THING...ALL OF THE SENTANCE NOT PART OF IT... G O D D A M M YOU!!!!!!!!

[draugwolf]

BOOKS FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE....NOT COWARDS LIKE YOU THAT SIT ON THE SIDELINES AND CHIRP ..WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN AFGANISTAN AND INVADED PAKISTAN AKA WHERE ALQAEDA IS AND ALL OF THIS WOULD BE OVER

[draugwolf]

s_link is confused.. i before e except after c (their) but i digress ...WE ARE NOT THERE TO STABALIZE ANYTHING.. THE PLAN IS AND WAS CHAOS..COVER TO STEAL THE OIL ..PEACEFUL CITIZENS LOL ..THE MIDDLE CLASS IS GONE TO JORDAN ..FILTHY TERRORISTS.. LOL THAT WOULD BE THE SUNNI ARABS ..THE US MILITARY WANTED TO TARGET AL SADR THREE YEARS AGO..BUSH DECLINED ...200 PEOPLE IN A MARKET THAT WOULD BE ALQAEDA AKA... THE SUNNIS.. YOU PROLLY THINK THE MARINES WANTED TO SIEGE FALLUJA ..WRONG AGAIN GENIUS.i suggest you read some books if you can handle it.. Cobra 2 Fiasco or No true glory

[feelfree1]

Re: "Muqtada al-Sadr went on state-run TV and blamed all of Iraq's problems on the U.S. forces."

Of course! What else could be responsible? The heinous U.S. misadventure in Iraq is one of the biggest disgraces in the history of our nation.

The Iraqi people have every right to defend themselves, and the occupiers have only obligations.

Get out now!

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow

[boatdocster]

Terrorism - As a form of unconventional warfare, terrorism is sometimes used when attempting to force political change by: convincing a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilization of an existing government, motivating a disgruntled population to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause.

By this definition the US Government is the world's largest state supporter of terrorism, except when we do it they re-package it as "regimen change". Somehow that makes it "different". The US is supporting radical Iranian elements right now, trying to get them to over throw the Iranian government. If we really want to fight the "War on Terror" we need to start by cleaning up our own filthy and corrupt house.

S_link90, prior to US forces being in Iraq NO ONE was being blown up daily by car bombs. Agree that Sadam was a bad guy (bought and paid for by Regan, Cheney, Bush I and Rumsfeld) but today the Iraqi's daily existance in now a living hell. Same for the brave troops over there trying to stay alive under a clueless group of draft dodgers with no plan for anything except stealing Iraqi oil and spending my tax dollars, and killing brave American military men and women. Sick and shameless beyond belief. 500 million for a huge embassy? Tell me Bush needs a palace that big.... the emperor with no clothes!

[xzavierbrown]

Posted by LordMerciful at 11:27 PM : Jun 07, 2007
+ report abuse

you are so full of s h i t!!!

you talk like you dont rape these people everytime you put gas in your car..oh yeah..the difference is you say 'excuse me' before you do it??

shut your psuedo intellectual bull c r a p

[xzavierbrown]

I never hear anything about liberals PROTESTING against Islamic dogma of intolerance against all those issues dear to most liberals..I wonder why..