miked10270 0 #1 August 13, 2004 like I said before, it's the Oily Sandy Ground that's important: http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2978 "Muslim Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is unhurt and is negotiating with the government to leave the Imam Ali shrine in the city of Najaf, Iraq's Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib said on Friday. Several spokesmen to Sadr said he was wounded in a U.S. raid on Friday. " Muqtada will not be touched if he leaves the shrine peacefully. A truce has been in force since last night," Naqib told Reuters. "We will go after the elements which have penetrated the Sadr movement, but not Muqtada," he added. The government has been under pressure to stop the U.S. attack on Najaf as violence mounts; stirring the Iraqis outrage at the U.S. tactics used to crackdown cleric Muqtada Al Sadr and his followers. An Iraqi political source said a delegation of tribal leaders and political parties met Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Thursday and demanded he try to put an end to the U.S. offensive on Najaf. Whatever happened to: http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2924 Explosions and gunfire echoed across the holy city of Najaf on Thursday, as the U.S. military and Iraqi forces launched a full-scale assault to rule out fighters loyal to Muslim Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Thousands of U.S. troops were taking part in the offensive, which started with the cordoning off of Imam Ali’s shrine, its vast cemetery and Najaf's Old City. "Major operations to destroy the militia have begun," said U.S. Marine Maj. David Holahan, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
juanesky 0 #2 August 13, 2004 What is not? The pricks that terrorize, attack, and then try to shield themselves inside mosques, and civilians?"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #3 August 13, 2004 We set out to capture Al-Sadr. Once cornered and ripe for capture we let him go, all for some percieved short term gain. God forbid that something may interrupt the supply of SUV-Juice (!!!) even if it IS the right, and sensible thing to do in the long term. I remember how concerned everyone was to avoid damaging Coventry and Dresden churches, what with them being places of worship. Let's be blunt, you can barely chuck a stone in, say, Jerusalem, without hitting some place of worship, but the bombs still go off. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
juanesky 0 #4 August 13, 2004 Hence apeacement do not work. Let's just shoot him ok?"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muenkel 0 #5 August 13, 2004 Who is "we?" Are you in Najaf right now, or are you in the United Kingdom? _________________________________________ Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #6 August 13, 2004 Fair point. "We" meant the US/UK ground forces in Iraq. Wasn't Al-Sadr "wanted" not so long back? What I'm being cynical about is the policy with so many "U" turns in it that it makes spaghetti look simple. The resulting, ever changing ROEs turn our troops from being an army into being targets. As Saddam Hussein prophesised, it's turning into another Vietnam. All thanks to "Executive" orders to... Shoot it. No, don't shoot it. We meant shoot it. Actually, don't shoot it. No, shoot it, just don't hurt it. No, we meant kill it. Actually just hurt it a bit. Make it like us. Shoot it now. We didn't mean now, maybe next week. Look like you're gonna shoot it. Why didn't you shoot it when you had the chance? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
