Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Uh, guys? You sure you want to do this? (redux)

Iraq army flexes muscles in Basra
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
2 Apr 2008
BAGHDAD - Iraqi soldiers rolled through a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra on Wednesday, drawing scattered bombs and bullets that wounded a camera operator for a U.S.-funded TV station and narrowly missed the commander of government troops in the city.

Why?

Didn't al Sadr just rescue these guys from truly ignominious defeat in the streets of Basra?

Why are they now deliberately provoking the Sadrists?... again.

The response?
Followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accused the army of violating an Iranian-brokered agreement that ended last week's fighting, which erupted in Basra and quickly engulfed Baghdad and major cities of the Shiite south.
...
A Mahdi Army spokesman in Basra, known as Abu Liqa al-Basri, said Wednesday that the militiamen were keeping a low profile on al-Sadr's orders. He accused Iraqi security forces of creating a "crisis of trust" by mounting "provocative raids" and arresting al-Sadr supporters.
Duh!

Stop the madness!

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