Al-Sadr Flees Iraq for Iran to Avoid Troop Surge
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at 11:16PM Bottom Line Up Front: Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr fled the largest slums of Baghdad for safety in Iran two weeks ago fearing Bush's "troop surge", proving Democrats and anti-war critics wrong about the administration's tactical maneuver.
Two weeks ago, President Bush officially outlined plans for a troop surge in Baghdad, Iraq, in an effort to control violence in the capital city. The troop surge worked before it started and before reinforcements arrived on the scene, death squad leaders loyal to the radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr fled to Iran in anticipation of the increase.
Then al-Sadr succumbed to a “cooperative tone” that surprised U.S. officials. With increased U.S. and Iraqi forces securing Baghdad, al-Sadr said he would fully cooperate with the government as long as it is an “Iraqi plan by the government”.
This left some skeptics questioning a relationship between the troop surge and the exodus of the bad guys; after all, why give President Bush and military commanders credit for a successful military operation, even if the anticipation of it was enough to scare the terrorists straight? “Coincidence!”, skeptics insisted.
It is now reported by the U.S. military that troublemaker Muqtada al-Sadar fled Iraq for the safety of Iran in the past 2 weeks, just after the troop surge was announced, following the example of the death squad leaders loyal to him.
Will Democrats continue to stick by their assertion that the troop surge was the wrong tactical move?
OTHERS BLOGGING: Gateway Pundit Sister Toldjah Hot Air
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Reader Comments (13)
Muqtada al-Sadr is just like all the other so-called religious leaders in Islam. They all preach their venom of hate and urge the youth to strap bombs to themselves so that they can become martyrs by blowing themselves up along with a bunch of innocents, but they themselves run like a bunch of scared rabbits because they don't want to be killed or hurt. It is too bad that their followers cannot see through the bull $h#t that these "religious" leaders spew.
If becoming a martyr by blowing your butt to hell is supposed to be so great, then why doesn't Bin Laden,Muqtada al-Sadr and the rest of the camel sniffers blow themselves up and do us all a favor. This is the ultimate in "Do as I say and not as I do".
Chicken liver
Another great post. I read in another blog besides Sadr fleeing from American troops, it may be his own people. Especially since one of his top people is being held and interrogated for the deaths of other Shia.
If it comes out little Mookie was responsible for some assasinations of Shia leaders - he's all but dead in Iraq.
Something else that Victory Supporters should also make newsworthy is that he in fact went back to his PuppetMasters.
What if he's involved with the weapons flow from Iran? This would be big news. This correlates with IRan's terrorist ties along with Hezbollah. Now that they've found sniper rifles via Austria-Iran->Iraq, plus the shaped charges that have killed our soldiers, if he's involved along with death of Iraqi Shia.
He's dead meat. Just get the word out on the streets of Baghdad that little Mookie and his militia are responsible and tied to Iranian thugs.
The people will turn against him very quickly.
I just hope these stories are getting reported in the Iraqi media. Because there is no doubt his hands are dirty with Syria and Iran.
Our guys can go after the bottom feeders all day long. Until we start knocking out the heavyweights up top, it won't make much difference. We have to make people at the top sweat in Iraq, Iran, Syria and elsewhere.
We've been playing politically correct Kerryisms for to long. This is the smarterst thing our leaders have done since this war started, was to allow our intel and soldiers to go after all the bad guys, all the way to the top.
Clean house!
I understand there is a cleric saying al-Sadr hasn't left, although there's been no sight of Sadr in Iraq for 2 weeks and the U.S. military (GEN Caldwell confirmed) insists he is out of Iraq, "most probably with family in Iran".
I agree that al-Sadr's own people may have contributed to his departure... he runs the biggest slum in Iraq and when water, sewage and other issues go awry his followers put the heat on him, and these people will turn on their own. Some may also have turned on him out of his fractured efforts to maintain a position of influence in Iraq. However, no Iraqis could contribute to his departure without the surge effort making them feel secure about it.
In other words, in various parts of Iraq as a place becomes more secure, Iraqis feel safer in "cleaning house" as you said. This is certainly the case with al-Sadr and thanks to the increase of U.S. and mostly Iraqi troops, Iraq does indeed seem to be cleaning house.
Fr., unfortunately, radical Islmaic clerics and thugs misuse "jihad" and hide behind it to justify their violence. In reality, they are partaking in "Hirabah", a blasmphemous "jihad" that uses violence to accomplish its goal.
When we start referring to it as "Hirabah" and not "jihad", we help marginalize the extremists and win the support of the average Muslim caught between reluctance to support the West and reluctance to distance themselves from true "jihad".
One, I believe that was a typo - it should be "fleas."
Two, supposition is only allowable from the Left and then only if negative.
Sorry Amy, you need to follow the rules.?!.?.!?.
I'm sort of sad that we announced anything. I would rather see them dead than in Iran.
Big White Hat, you know, there's something to regret in this 24 news cycle society. Everything is public. Now even classified documents are broadcast on the front page of newspapers. It used to be in the good old days that our enemies had to guess what we were up to; now they know for sure.
Good point.
Hi. I just found out today that there is a good chance that my hubby will be part of that troop surge.
Deb, I'll visit your site to find out more. What unit is he with?
Where is the media on this story? Oh yeah, Broward County.
Honourable Reverend, can you enlighten us on these so called "religious" leaders of Islam that you are so closely acquinted with? Who are these guys? The ones you see on Fox, claiming to speak for Islam?