BAGHDAD, Jan. 8, 2009

Al-Sadr: Attack U.S. Troops In Iraq

Once-Powerful Shiite Cleric Calls For Retaliation Over U.S. Role In Gaza Confilct

  • Followers of a radical anti U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carry his portrait in Baghdad, Iraq in this February, 2008 file photo. Al-Sadr called for attacks on U.S. troops in response to the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip.

    Followers of a radical anti U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carry his portrait in Baghdad, Iraq in this February, 2008 file photo. Al-Sadr called for attacks on U.S. troops in response to the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip.  (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

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(AP)  Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday urged reprisals against American forces in Iraq to protest Israel's Gaza offensive, as Arab anger grows over civilian deaths in the Palestinian territory.

The strongly worded statement signaled a threat by al-Sadr's militia fighters to renew violence against American troops after months of relative calm.

It was unclear, however, just how much influence the once-powerful Shiite leader - who is believed to be in Iran - still has. His fighters have been hit hard in U.S.-Iraqi military operations over the past year.

The U.S. State Department dismissed al-Sadr's calls, describing them as "outrageous."

"Any call for attacks against Americans is outrageous and, frankly, not worthy of much more comment," deputy State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. "Outside calls to attack Americans for what's going on in the region are outrageous."

The Bush administration held off Wednesday from backing an Egyptian-French cease-fire proposal in Gaza, saying it was exploring other options to secure a lasting agreement that would end the violence.

Iraqis have expressed outrage over the Israeli offensive and what is perceived as U.S. inaction, holding protests to show solidarity with the Palestinians. The issue has again put the spotlight on Iraq's relations with Israel as the two countries remain technically at war.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed "great pain and sorrow" over the Israeli offensive and accused the international community of ignoring the plight of the Palestinians.

"It is regrettable that this brutal crime continues with the silence of the international community," he told reporters Tuesday.

He called on other Arab and Muslim nations to "abolish diplomatic relations" with Israel and to "stop all public and clandestine contacts with this murderous regime." Only two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, have peace treaties with Israel.

In his own statement, al-Sadr said more action was needed "due to the continuation of Arab silence and the massacres committed by the Zionist enemy under U.S. and international cover."

"I call upon the honest Iraqi resistance to carry out revenge operations against the great accomplice of the Zionist enemy," he said, using rhetoric referring to the United States and Israel.

He also urged that Palestinian flags be raised on mosques, churches and buildings in Iraq and that all countries close Israeli embassies.

Al-Sadr and his militiamen have been staunch opponents of the U.S. presence in Iraq and waged fierce battles in 2004 followed by years of sectarian violence. He ordered his fighters to stand down in 2007 but retained a smaller force.

But his movement's popularity has suffered with the involvement of some militiamen in protection and black market rackets, as well as general fatigue from on-again, off-again fighting.

Israel says it launched the offensive to end rocketing by the Islamic militant group Hamas that has traumatized southern Israel.

Palestinian and U.N. figures show that about 300 of the more than 670 Palestinians killed so far have been civilians.

Israel has lost six soldiers since launching a ground offensive on Saturday - four in "friendly fire" incidents - and four other Israelis have been killed by rocket fire since fighting began on Dec. 27.

In Jordan, meanwhile, two Iraqi planes carrying several tons of medicine, medical supplies, blankets and water reserves containers to be sent to Gaza, landed in Amman airport Tuesday, the Iraqi Red Crescent said.

Rasoul Khedayer, the agency's representative in Jordan, said "Iraq will continue to bring aid supplies to the people of Gaza and will fly more than 10 planes in the coming few days into Jordan."

Also Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Shiites joined processions to honor the martyrdom of one of their most revered saints. More than 30,000 policemen and soldiers were deployed in Baghdad, Karbala and on roads between the two cities to guard the ceremonies.

© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 104 Comments
by mrjoshcan January 10, 2009 10:57 AM EST
How irate can this guy be! Are Al-Sadr Mavericks out to provoke further wageless grievance that may topple existing predisposal. Can we not come to terms for this struggle aroused in this fighting over the daily bread. What if any is the wrong with Pythagoovers? Are we going to give into rediculous noncompliance for todays newest century old revision. What did Vegas in CES 2009 accomplish anyways? Doug supplesoft@twlakes.net
Reply to this comment
by jtberger January 9, 2009 4:32 AM EST
Zedd couldn''t be more correct
HOw many peple are aware of Israel''s perfidious and deliberate murder of 34 American servicemen on the USS Liberty in 1967....of the Lavon affair, of the millions of Germans directly and indirectly murdered by Jews during and AFTER WW2,( the blatantly genocidal policies of Ehdrenburg, Lindemann, Morgenthau, Kaufmannn etc.) of the holocaust hoax, Dier Yassin, that colin Powell got his info. on weapons of mass destruction from his under-secretary Michael Grossman, who got his info from the head of the CIA George Tennat, who was inspired by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz (all but Powell being Jewish Zionists. etc. etc.
Reply to this comment
by Stratmaster7 January 8, 2009 10:09 PM EST
Posted by Troglobyte at 02:40 PM

Zedd Zorander is a fictional "person", calling "people" stupid. Not sure what the point is.
Reply to this comment
by karentiggs January 8, 2009 8:29 PM EST
These people are nothing short of animals. We need to come together as one voice and act quick to stop them both in Iraq and at home. www.theoandavirus.com
Reply to this comment
by roghil January 8, 2009 8:27 PM EST
"What is happening in the enslaved Muslim countries is a natural reaction to occupation, bombings, killing and terrorizing of innocent civilians (children, old men and women), rapes, in addition to looting of resources, national antiques and artifacts, above all the destruction of their property by the occupiers."
Posted by drmaqazi at 04:37 PM : Jan 08, 2009
+ report abuse

What enslaved muslim countries are you talking about? The only "enslavers" are other muslims, i.e. Saddam Hussein and yes Moqtada Sadr in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Look around, see if you can figure out who started this stuff. Maybe then you will get a clue.
Reply to this comment
by augustus131 January 8, 2009 7:45 PM EST
Posted by drmaqazi at 04:37 PM : Jan 08, 2009

Who''s post are you refering to??
Reply to this comment
by a_witness-2009 January 8, 2009 7:18 PM EST
Maybe it is time to chop off the head of another snake.
Reply to this comment
by cheetah-man7 January 8, 2009 6:03 PM EST
Al-Sadr needs to make up his mind once and for all... either he is tolorant of the USA, or not. Is that turban of his too tight or something? Someone should really just take him out and rid the world of yet another loose marble!
Reply to this comment
by troglobyte January 8, 2009 5:40 PM EST
Those that do not study the past are condemned to repeat it.

Stay divided America. Keep blaming others for what you have been too apathetic to do.

"People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it''s true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People''s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so all are easier to fool." -Zedd Zorander
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by augustus131 January 8, 2009 5:36 PM EST
Continued...

Only after they realized how many jews were moving in (& starting their own country/homeland) and how they (the jews) turned a worthless, arid/swampy land into a productive, viable, profitable, region; ONLY THEN did they "care". That is when they started saying "kill the jews", "get them out of here", "give the land back to the poor Palestinian refugees".
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by augustus131 January 8, 2009 5:32 PM EST
continued...

They other countries/tribes don''t care a hoot about the Palestinians and really don''t want the Palestinians to make peace with Isreal. They''d rather use them as an excuse (pawns) to keep harrasing Isreal/jews until they leave (so then they can come in and scoop up the now productive/viable land). If that ever happened (jews leave) then watch who gets/takes over the land and see what will happen to the Palestinians...nothing!

That is why anytime the Palestinians make "peace" with Isreal, "other factions" start causing trouble, like Hamas, like hezbullah, etc.., not usually the Palestinias. These factions come in from other arab countries, like Syria, Lebenon, etc. Just watch, if the P''s make peace with Isreal, in about 6 months some other "non-Palestinian" faction will start trouble non the "plaestinians" behalf. That is what has Really been going on thin the region for the last 60 yrs.

BTW, I''m not Jewish, just well read/educated on the region/subject.
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by oldtimer1942-2009 January 8, 2009 5:30 PM EST
promaclaura: I sincerely appologize to you for making a terrible mistake by equating you with hungry681. Please forgive me. I will be more careful in the future.
Reply to this comment
by augustus131 January 8, 2009 5:27 PM EST
The Jews already paid for the land back in the 1910''s-40''s. Read your history!!! They never "stole" the Palestinians land. They bought it (before & after WWII) from the "other" arab princes/sheiks, etc. who controlled/owned the "worthless" arid/swampy land that the nomad "gypsie" Palestinians lived/roamed on (The Jews & arabs actually lived peacefully along side each other for a long time).

After they got their loot, the "other" arab princes, booted the Palestinians off the land they just sold to the Jews; and since no other arab "country" would take in these "gypsie" nomads they were left fend on their own on the little bit of land the "other" arabs had not sold off. Really, the "other" arab tribes had/have more direct responsibility for the plight of the Palestinians, than the Jews or Americans (BTW the British & U.N. are the second biggest reason for this regions screw up, not the USA). If you don''t believe me read up on it.. Study the true history of what happend to Palestine begining around WWI.

Also ask yourself; if all the other arab factions/tribes/countries are really SO concerned about the plight of the Palestinians why hasn''t any other arab country EVER taken in the Palestinians since they''d been displaced/sold them out?!?!?!?!? They don''t really like them and don''t really care what happens to them; they never did. That is why they sold their "worthless" land to the Jews in the first place.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 January 8, 2009 5:10 PM EST
time to send him to meet his 72 ***** male gorrilars in hell.
Reply to this comment
by hologram5 January 8, 2009 4:17 PM EST
As I had said before to all you GOP morons, "of course Israel''''s actions will in no way what-so-ever have any negative affects on our soldiers in the middle east."

More american blood will be shed to continue our ''''friendship'''' with israel.


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Posted by melchg at 01:14 PM : Jan 08, 2009
---------------------------------
I agree with you whole heartedly, this is a quick way to get our boys over there killed.
Reply to this comment
by displeased January 8, 2009 4:16 PM EST
Either way, there were TWO reasons we were attacked on 9/11. And the second reason IS our support of Israel.
Posted by hungry681 at 12:04 PM : Jan 08, 2009

Once again, Hungry, because YOU say it is so, does not mean it is so.
Posted by TexHillGirl

Osama Bin Laden, the one who attacked us, said it was so.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 January 8, 2009 4:13 PM EST
time to send him to meet his 72 ***** male gorrilars in hell.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 January 8, 2009 4:12 PM EST
time to send him to meet his 72 ***** male gorrilars in hell.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 January 8, 2009 4:11 PM EST
time to send him to meet his 72 ***** male gorrilars in hell.
Reply to this comment
by Rick007 January 8, 2009 4:09 PM EST
time to send him to meet his 72 ***** male gorrilars in hell.
Reply to this comment
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