Al-Sadr To Followers: Refuse Surrender

As U.S., British Forces Join Basra Offensive, Militants Reject Call To Disarm; 2 U.S. Troops Killed in Baghdad

(CBS/AP)  Anti-American Shiite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers Saturday to defy government orders to surrender their weapons, as U.S. jets struck Shiite extremists near Basra to bolster a faltering Iraqi offensive against gunmen in the city.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki acknowledged he may have miscalculated by failing to foresee the strong backlash that his offensive, which began Tuesday, provoked in areas of Baghdad and other cities where Shiite militias wield power.

Government television said the round-the-clock curfew imposed two days ago on the capital and due to expire Sunday would be extended indefinitely. Gunfire and explosions were heard late Saturday in Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia.

The U.S. Embassy tightened its security measures, ordering all staff to use armored vehicles for all travel in the Green Zone and to sleep in reinforced buildings until further notice after six days of rocket and mortar attacks which left two Americans dead.

Despite the mounting crisis, al-Maliki, himself a Shiite, vowed to remain in Basra until government forces wrest control from militias, including the Mahdi Army. He called the fight for control of Basra "a decisive and final battle."

British ground troops, who controlled the city until handing it over to the Iraqis last December, also joined the battle for Basra, firing artillery Saturday for the first time in support of Iraqi forces.

Iraqi authorities have given Basra extremists until April 8 to surrender heavy and medium weapons after an initial 72-hour ultimatum to hand them over was widely ignored.

But a defiant al-Sadr called on his followers Saturday to ignore the order, saying that his Mahdi Army would turn in its weapons only to a government that can "get the occupier out of Iraq," referring to the Americans.

The order was made public by Haidar al-Jabiri, a member of the influential political commission of the Sadrist movement.

Al-Sadr, in an interview aired Saturday by Al-Jazeera television, said his Mahdi Army was capable of "liberating Iraq" and maintained al-Maliki's government was as "distant" from the people as Saddam Hussein's.

Residents of Basra contacted by telephone said Mahdi militiamen were manning checkpoints Saturday in their neighborhood strongholds. The sound of intermittent mortar and machine gun fire rang out across the city, as the military headquarters at a downtown hotel came under repeated fire.

An Iraqi army battalion commander and two of his bodyguards were killed Saturday night by a roadside bomb in central Basra, military spokesman Col. Karim al-Zaidi said.

The fight for Basra is crucial for al-Maliki, who flew to Basra earlier this week and is staking his credibility on gaining control of Iraq's second-largest city, which has essentially been held by armed groups for nearly three years.

In a speech Saturday to tribal leaders in Basra, al-Maliki promised to "stand up to these gangs" not only in the south but throughout Iraq.

Iraqi officials and their American partners have long insisted that the crackdown was not directed at al-Sadr's movement but against criminals and renegade factions - some of whom are allegedly tied to Iran.

Al-Maliki told tribal leaders that the offensive in Basra "was only to deal with these gangs" - some of which he said "are worse than al Qaeda."

Without mentioning the Sadrists by name, al-Maliki said he was "surprised to see that party emerge with all the weapons available to it and strike at everything - institutions, people, departments, police stations and the army."

Al-Sadr's followers have accused rival Shiite parties in the national government of trying to crush their movement before provincial elections this fall. The young cleric's lieutenants had warned repeatedly that any move to dislodge them from Basra would provoke bloodshed.

But al-Maliki's comments appeared to reinforce suspicions that his government failed to foresee the backlash, including a sharp upsurge in violence throughout the Shiite south and shelling of the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, the nerve center of the Iraqi leadership and the U.S. mission.

Two American soldiers were killed Saturday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in mostly Shiite east Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

The upsurge in violence prompted Iraqi authorities to impose a round-the-clock curfew on the capital, which expires at sunrise Sunday.

All that threatens to undermine White House efforts to convince a skeptical Congress and the American public that the Iraqis are making progress toward managing their own security without the presence of U.S. troops.

With the Shiite militiamen defiant, a group of police in the Mahdi Army's Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City abandoned their posts and handed over their weapons to al-Sadr's local office. Police forces in Baghdad are believed heavily influenced or infiltrated by Mahdi militiamen.

"We can't fight our brothers in the Mahdi Army, so we came here to submit our weapons," one policeman said on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

He said about 40 policemen had defected to the Mahdi Army. The figure could not be confirmed, but AP Television News footage showed about a dozen uniformed police, their faces covered with masks to shield their identity, being met by Sheik Salman al-Feraiji, al-Sadr's chief representative in Sadr City.

Al-Feraiji greeted each policeman and gave them a copy of the Quran and an olive branch as they handed over their guns and ammunition.

On Saturday, Iraqi officials said they had received a phone call from Tahseen Sheikhly, the high-profile civilian spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, who was seized by gunmen two days earlier from at his home in a Shiite area of the capital.

An Iraqi-owned satellite television station, Sharqiya, broadcast what it said was a tape of the conversation, in which a man identifying himself as Sheikhly said he was being held "with a group of officers" at an unknown location.

"Our release depends on the withdrawal of al-Maliki from Basra and the easing of the military operations against the Sadrists in all provinces," he said. "We appeal to the prime minister and the Iraqi government to work with the Sadrist movement, which represents the popular base of society."

The U.S. military says 16 enemy fighters have been killed in airstrikes supporting Iraqi troops during clashes with Shiite militiamen in Basra.

Military spokesman Maj. Brad Leighton says an AC-130 gunship strafed heavily armed militants attacking Iraqi forces from three rooftops in the southern city.

Iraqi police earlier claimed eight civilians, including two women and a child, had been killed when a U.S. warplane destroyed a house early Saturday.

But Leighton says U.S. special operations forces helped identify the militants before the airstrike.

British military spokesman Maj. Tom Holloway also says U.S. jets later dropped two precision-guided bombs on a suspected militia stronghold north of the city, but no casualties were reported.

"My understanding was that this was a building that had people who were shooting back at Iraqi ground forces," Holloway said.

American forces launched their first air strikes in Basra late Thursday as Iraqi troops struggled against strong resistance.

In Baghdad, Iraqi police said U.S. helicopters carried out air strikes on the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City Friday night. Television footage showed destroyed buildings and the smoking wreckage of at least one car.

But the U.S. military said in an e-mail that the only air assault it carried out last night was in the Kazamiyah neighborhood, west of Sadr City, killing 10 militants.

Iraq's Health Ministry, which is close to the Sadrist movement, on Saturday reported at least 75 civilians have been killed and at least 500 others injured in a week of clashes and air strikes in Sadr City and other eastern Baghdad neighborhoods.

The U.S. military sharply disputes the claims, having said that most of those killed were militia members.

[mcvet]

This ain''t good people. When we take sides in an obvious civil war it is NOT good.

[underdogus]

al-Maliki told tribal leaders in the southern city that he "will not leave Basra until security is restored" and those who have taken up arms against the government are punished..you''re a joke Al-maliki... you''re gonna punish Ahmadinejad ????

[pollroller1]

Let''s see if we can figure this out. Iraq has one of the largest oil deposits in the world. Let the American taxpayers pay to protect the pipeline by sending our young men over there. So you have billions of dollars in revenue flowing in. The cost of the operating is being paid for by the US taxpayers. WOW!!! Now that''s how you make the BIG bucks.

[prinzowhales]

Maliki has extended his deadline from three to ten days for the Mahdi Army in Basra to hand in its heavy weapons in exchange for cash...Perhaps he should just take a page out of Bush''s book (the other one, besides MY PET GOAT) and declare, "Mission Accomplished," and promise that Basra will be taken by the Islamic equivalent to Christmas.

[yongamerica]

The Iranian supplied Mahdi Army has shown its hand! It does not support the Iraq nominated government. The army is to be used in two years time to overthrow the Iraqi government after Sadr becomes an Ayatollah. He and the top two tiers of his commanders are all hiding in Iran until this time, at which he will attempt to establish an Iraqi government Iranian style.

The rest of Iraq knows this, the so called civil war has yet to start

[underdogus]

The rest of Iraq knows this, the so called civil war has yet to start
Posted by yongamerica ...yes! well said sir/mam.....

[singingrick]

In a related story, every relative of the eight people killed joined the insurgency.

[yongamerica]

Perhaps this article will show that every relative of the Mahdi army are already involved in the insurgency.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/28/AR2008032803810.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

[stn_sage]

First, whether U.S. or U.K. is responsible for civilian deaths is irrelevant. It will result in more and more Iraqis picking up arms against the U.S.!

Second, it''s stated that militia groups have basically controlled Basra for 3 years! I thought U.K. forces were in control of it, they withdrew turning it over to Iraqi forces! Has the pubic been previously misinformed?

Third, extremely problematic is wholesale surrender of arms by Iraqi police units to al-Sadr''s militia!?
How can order be restored & maintained when Iraqi nationals charged with that responsibility don''t do it?! Answer: it can''t!

Fourth, al Maliki has potentially permanently undercut his own credibility if his forces can''t take Basra!

Finally, all these things---and more unmentioned---demonstrate---once again---that we should NOT be in Iraq and we are NOT ''winning the war''!

[ajaxtheleast]

Re: Our rational for attacking Basra and

Sadr City, to save your time searching and

our time arranging press conferences

please request "LIE #1026" FOR EMAIL DELIVERY.

[sgtrds]

The Bush/Cheney foreign policy: Bomb them until they love us. Destroy them so they''ll have democracy. Slaughter them until they realize were just killing them for their own good. It''s Vietnam all over again when we were burning their villages in order to save them. Madness. Madness.

[sgtrds]

In many wars civilians die, like in WWII when we had no choice. The difference here is that this is not WWII when we were fighting people who attacked us. The difference here is that Bush and Cheney launched this war as a war of invasion and conquest. In this war WE are the Roams crushing other nations and killing their people. WE are the Huns slaughtering innocents of greed. WE are the new Nazis, invading nations that never harmed us and killing their people all so our rich and our corporations can make a profit. We are not bombing Basra because we have no choice, we are murdering those civilians for money! Once upon a time America used to be the good guys. Now, thanks to the lies of Bush and Cheney WE are the bad guys, we are the invading hoards, we are the oppressors. Thanks George, you idiotic evil piece of garbage! And thanks to you too Cheney, you Fat Nazi!

[pollroller1]

Nope, we could never nuke um. Too much money to be made. Got to keep that oil flowing. Too many people making too much money.

[obama8years]

IS THIS TRUE?
OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS TERROR

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Barak Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastors Page." The op-ed piece justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Wright.

Barak Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasn%u2019t in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin,%u201D Obama added.


Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obama''s response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''t know, that he wasn''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House, will he be in similar ignorance about the goings on of his administration ?

[sgtrds]

Nope, we could never nuke um. Too much money to be made. Got to keep that oil flowing. Too many people making too much money.

Posted by pollroller1 at 12:37 PM : Mar 29, 2008

And every bit of it is blood money. This war is because war and death are every evry profitable to compnaies like Haliburton. To them the deaths of our troops, the slaughter on innocent civilians and the trashing of America''s image in the world are all prices they''re more than happy to pay to pad their bank accounts. 100 years from now the money the Bush and Cheney great grand children will be spending will still be soaked uin innocent blood spilled by George W. and Di*cky boy.

[yongamerica]

All this talk about Iraqi oil. Not one drop has reached the US. Not one dime of Iraqi oil money has been spent on Iraq''s reconstruction, not a bloody cent. Iraq has been banking it all (supposedly).

[prinzowhales]

The Washington Regime has renewed its onslaught against free human beings in Basra. It was not that many years ago that the baleful gaze of Washington fell upon the wealthy Serbian province of Kosovo and it and its allies fell upon it like a pack of ravening wolves...It mattered nothing to these vile creatures that their allies, the KLA, were a criminal organization trained by terrorists....they had the support of the Clinton Regime--and the arch-conservatives of the Heritage Foundation.

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8055

[rowdytexan2]

Bush/Cheney willing to genocide anybody that gets in the way of the Iraqi oil agreements.

They even genocided some of own!

Wake up!

[joyous88]

just like Vietnam,

the american republicon war machine will bomb them until every man ,woman, and child is dead,

and they have to find a new place to bomb

we would still be in Vietnam if the republiCONs had their way

republiCONs are fascists, driven by GREED

[joyous88]

obama8years is from the republiCON noise machine

a liar, a propagandist,


A GREED DRIVEN REPUBLICON PIG

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by Prinzowhales at 12:57 PM : Mar 29, 2008



Do you live in Durham or Chapel Hill?

[ajaxtheleast]

"NUKE ''EM ALL!"

YOU''RE KIDDING!

THE IRAQS WHO SURVIVE THE RADIATION

WILL LOOK LIKE JOE LEIBERMAN,

THE MARRIAGE RATE WILL BE ZERO AND

WITH NO MORE IRAQIS WE REPUGS WILL

HAVE TO MOVE TO A DAMNN DESERT AND

PUMP OUR OWN FU---KIN OIL!!!

[freakout101-2009]

IS THIS TRUE?
OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS TERROR

Posted by obama8years at 12:37 PM : Mar 29, 2008

-------------------------------------------------

Sure why not. What difference does it make? Either side you choose equals the side of war and killing. Where is an artical for peace and one state with equal rights and people just enjoy life instead of destoy it?

[toolmangler-2009]

"NUKE ''''EM ALL!"
YOU''''RE KIDDING!
Posted by ajaxtheleast at 01:24 PM : Mar 29, 2008



Nah! That will solve the Mexican problem for us, Grab them as they come across the border sort them out by education and send the lowest to Iraq to pump the Oil for us. (Two problems solved with one flight of B52s armmed with nooks)

[toolmangler-2009]

Just kidding for those that don''t know me.

[freakout101-2009]

Posted by ToolMangler at 01:37 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Shut the f*ck up. You wanna fight? Any time ***... any time!

[tucano2]

The strategic move has been to suck USA forces out of areas the Iraqis REALLY want, and kill enough of the USA forces when they arrive in the South so there will be insufficient USA forces to return to their bases, which in the meantime, will have been rocketed into dust. When GW Bush stops micromanaging matters things might improve.

[toolmangler-2009]

He doesn''t know me, LOL

[freakout101-2009]

Just kidding for those that don''''t know me.

Posted by ToolMangler at 01:39 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Well aren''t you quick pekker head. Still, go f*ck yerself. You pieces of sh*t don''t scare me with yer tricks.

[prinzowhales]

Posted by ToolMangler at 01:04 PM : Mar 29, 2008
------------------
As I responded the last time you asked, I live in Chatham County.
----------------

The move of these Iraqi troops south may well be to get them away from the capital as their loyalty could not be depended on if the US attacked Iran... Now, they are in the killing fields so if they turn on their American masters they can be eliminated in an air attack as Hussein''s were on the retreat from Kuwait.

whatreallyhappened.com is reporting that there is a "flurry" of US activity on the Iran-Iraq border... and the Saudis are telling their citizens how to protect themselves from fallout.

[freakout101-2009]

Nuke tower bomber Amerikkka, problems solved. Yer b*tches will have a mass abortion...early term, late term. You f*ckers love death, hate, and flashing lights so much... lots of executions and suffering to get yer jollies off

[sevenveils]

The Mahdi Army is uprising in Baghdad as a diversion tactic to pull Iraqi forces from Basra. It won''t work, the Iraq forces will squelch the Iranian supported Mahdi army

[freakout101-2009]

whatreallyhappened.com is reporting that there is a "flurry" of US activity on the Iran-Iraq border... and the Saudis are telling their citizens how to protect themselves from fallout.

Posted by Prinzowhales at 01:44 PM : Mar 29, 2008

-------------------------------------------------

Go mess with Iran.... They gonna kick the sh*it out of you. The whole Middle East gonna come after you. You can make yourselves i-coffins or e-boxes to sell.

You don''t have enough? Your big crime bosses sit in the big chair and you run like morons trying to please them... LOL!

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by Prinzowhales at 01:44 PM : Mar 29, 2008



I beg your pardon, I missed your answer in a previous post,
Even Bushy_baby isn''t that stupid, He has been warned by his handlers to not even consider that option, they might be willing to shake the locals up with a threat or two, but a real Bombing would be counterproductive.

[freakout101-2009]

I so proud my child died for Exxon and the Bush and Clinton crime families. So Henry Kissenger can get the best medical care... I''ll try to make some more children to send so I can have an SUV and some beer

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by freakout101 at 01:52 PM : Mar 29, 2008


Your youth and inexperience shows brightly in your every post, "It is better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt"

[freakout101-2009]

Maybe Controlled Demolition Inc should demolish your whole city and the crazy pentagon mail you all anthrax for an income tax check... Go pray to Bill Clinton an kiss his feet "Oh, what did we do wrong for you Bill, please don''t blow up our buildings and burn our churches... boo hoo hooo!"

[freakout101-2009]

Posted by ToolMangler at 01:56 PM : Mar 29, 2008

These and old saying that goes like this:
Eat sh*t and Die

[toolmangler-2009]

Didn''t listen, did you

[sevenveils]

Not one drop of Iranian oil has been shipped to the US. Iraq has nationalized its oil company but has subcontracted with 9 or so Oil companies, some from the mid east along with Exxon, Dutch Shell, and Mobile. Not one dime of Iranian oil money has gone into Iraq''s reconstruction, yet. It''s being banked somewhere (GSA wants to know where are these billions are going). KBR and Bechtel are certainly cashing in.

[freakout101-2009]

Didn''''t listen, did you

Posted by ToolMangler at 02:00 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Who the f*ck are you? We need to listen?
I listen only to God and that certainly ain''t you by a long long long shot.

[sgtrds]

Who the f*ck are you? We need to listen?
I listen only to God and that certainly ain''''t you by a long long long shot.

Posted by freakout101 at 02:02 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Time to take your meds donnie, then a good afternoon nap. You''ll feel bvtter.

[toolmangler-2009]

I listen only to God and that certainly ain''''t you by a long long long shot.

Posted by freakout101 at 02:02 PM : Mar 29, 2008


Two things stand out here, the first is , you are a liar, If you listened to GOD you would never have said the things you just did. The second is, You have no idea who or what GOD is or what he has done for you.

[freakout101-2009]

Time to take your meds donnie, then a good afternoon nap. You''''ll feel bvtter.

Posted by SgtRDS at 02:04 PM : Mar 29, 2008

You talkin to me, you little p*ss ant? Go take a sledge hammer and hit yourself in the head real hard. That''s the only meds that will help you and everyone else...LOL!

*********!

[toolmangler-2009]

Is that Donnie, Sarge? I didn''t recognize him

[freakout101-2009]

Two things stand out here, the first is , you are a liar, If you listened to GOD you would never have said the things you just did. The second is, You have no idea who or what GOD is or what he has done for you.

Posted by ToolMangler at 02:07 PM : Mar 29, 2008

--------------------------------------------------

But you do? Mr. Expert? You are nothing but a sadistic ret*rded baboon. God told me to tell you that. You can change or go to hell where you belong.

[sgtrds]

You talkin to me, you little p*ss ant? Go take a sledge hammer and hit yourself in the head real hard. That''''s the only meds that will help you and everyone else...LOL!

*********!

Posted by freakout101 at 02:08 PM : Mar 29, 2008

Ok, OK, be that way, but I''m telling you once they hit you up with some Risperdal it''ll stop those voices in you head and you''ll feel a lot better. Just looking out for your mental heatlh.

[toolmangler-2009]

He has been off his meds too long, He can''t win for losing.

[sgtrds]

Is that Donnie, Sarge? I didn''''t recognize him

Posted by ToolMangler at 02:09 PM : Mar 29, 2008

I think so. He acts like this when he''s drunk too early in the day. I have to run though. Wife wants to go out to lunch. back later. Have fun.

[toolmangler-2009]

Enjoy , See you L8TR, I am moving on also