The U.S Administration should know that changing faces will not bring calm and stability in Iraq. From Chilabi to Maliki , we saw many person. But they badly failed in their jobs. They all ignored and tried to Suppress the Sunnis. The situation in Iraq will not calm down unless Shias share power with Sunnis.
Sen. John McCain has asked Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to sever his relationship with the radical young Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.His demand is preposterous. How can Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki take action against his coalition partner? If he breaks relationship with the radical young Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr his government will fall.
The question now is how things got out of control. Why Americans want to sideline the radical young Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr? He holds 30 seats in the parliament , as well as cabinet several cabinet posts – thanks to much-touted ‘democratic” elections.
The U.S. Administration says Moqtada al-Sadr is responsible for much of the violence in Iraq, including a mob killing of a pro-American Shi’ite cleric in 2004.
Nir Rosen, a Middle East expert at the New American Foundation in Washington says,”Moqtada’s movement began as a reaction to the U.S. occupation [of Iraq] and its leadership. And they [al-Sadr’s followers] don’t have a real agenda yet, except for being against things.”
The question arises as to why Americans then allowed his followers to take part in the election. What has restrained them from taking action against Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army so far?
The USA Today Today reported in October, 2006, the asked for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki support for a major assault on the Shiite militia. But he rejected US plans to launch large-scale operations
in Sadr City, a Baghdad slum and stronghold” of Sadr’s Mahdi
Army.
Now we are getting reports that Iraqi politicians are trying to form a new alliance designed to isolate the radical young Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. It is said that this coalition would include the Sunnis, Kurds and Shias.
This time American are enlisting the support of Shiite leader Ayatollah Abdul Aziz Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and its attendant Badr Brigade militia.
The U.S Administration should know that changing faces will not bring calm and stability in Iraq. From Chilabi to Maliki , we saw many person. But they badly failed in their jobs. They all ignored and tried to Suppress the Sunnis. The situation in Iraq will not calm down unless Shias share power with Sunnis.
Parliamentarian Mahmoud Othman was right in saying ,”Leaders from both sides are trading accusations against each other.There have been no meetings between them for [a long time now]. How do you expect reconciliation at a national level when it does not exist
between them?”
al-Sadr at the moment is probably the most powerful Shia leader in Iraq. He also has a large militia. He is also one of the few Shia leaders not beholden to Iran.
Having not played a major role in the election, he remains one of the few Shia leaders not linked to the failed government, and more importantly not linked to the occupying forces.
al-Sadr is seen as being just about the only person who can stand up for the Shia against the al-qaeda and other Sunni death squads.
Most of the killings occuring in Iraq are of Shia by Sunni’s.
al-Sadr is just about the only Shia leader who like the Sunni’s believes in a strong central government and united Iraq.
It seems we do not know what we are doing in Iraq, and that our administration, experts, analysts and so called intelligence people are morons.
Increasing isolated some see, Nothing left for lonely Bush except one more push. as he tries to salvage his legacy of failure.
Apparently Bush is about to take the ‘one last push’ direction as speculation grows he will call for up to 50,000 more troops for Iraq but Reserves, National Guard are under the strain of deployments. Bush and McCain may have a hidden reserve of troops somewhere. One may well ask what can 50,000 more troops accomplish?
Arlen Spector, a leading Republican senator has had it and plans a Syria trip despite White House opposition.
Meanwhile, Joe Galloway (formerly KDR) now writes for McClatchy sees Bush’s `new way forward’ is into quicksand’
Frankly, imho, an additional 100,000 troops will not isolate the cleric Al-Sadr. Any thought of targeting him will enlarge the conflict. Go read Parick Cockburn’s piece:
“Iraq is Beyond Repair”