Sadr City braces for fresh street battles

[druidity33]

Source: Christian Science Monitor


<snip>


Residents and Mahdi Army militants alike appeared to be bracing for a coming battle, guarding against US and Iraqi forces advancing to stop the rockets allegedly fired from Sadr City that hit the Green Zone again Wednesday for the third day since Sunday.

Although it's in Basra, the oil-rich southern city, where the Mahdi Army and Iraqi forces were locked in a bitter fight for a second day, killing at least 55, many in Baghdad fear that clash will trigger a new battle in Mr. Sadr's Baghdad stronghold. Already there were reports by US-funded Al Hurra TV, citing hospital sources, that at least 20 people have been killed and 140 wounded in sporadic clashes in Sadr City since Tuesday.

<snip>

"Much of the indirect fire that has been directed towards neighborhoods here in Baghdad has emanated from … Sadr City in particular. We do have a responsibility to work with Iraqi security forces to interdict the ability for the … cells to continue doing what they are doing … and to enforce the rule of law against criminal activities and illegal armed groups that might be seeking to impose their own intimidation," said Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a spokesman for US-led forces in Iraq, when asked about the enforced US and Iraqi Army ring around Sadr City.

During his press conference, and shortly afterward, several rocket or mortar explosions echoed inside the heavily protected Green Zone, home to top US and Iraqi officials.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0327/p01s01-woiq.html

---

There's also these from this morning...

from the AP via TPM:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/03/militiamen_holding_out_in_basr.php

how they're spinning it:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hCRQcD2TIGwoSyU_ODCiwSBbdlMA

Paul Kiel's analysis via TPM:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_303.php

Kim Gamel's reporting at HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/26/militiamen-holding-out-in_n_93445.html



looks to me like we'll be hearing more about Basra in the coming days...

how much will the media bring up that the British troops are no longer there and how will they spin it?

discuss...

[tekisui]

1. Yep. See what an quick withdrawel does!

It's bullshit. The violence there has nothing to do with the absence of troops. All of the violence and Civil Wars in Iraq are a product of the US Invasion and Occupation. It is exacerbated by our staying.

[druidity33]

2. sad heartedly agree

worst part is that given the opportunity and support, the Mahdi "army" has been very helpful. My guess is that the British, before they left brokered a truce from Sadr that the Iraqi gov't ans US gov't have repeatedly broken.

This scenario has been concocted entirely by the US forces, whether implemented by the Iraqi Army or no.

I echo you in regards to the violence and division in Iraq... i'll even bold it.
"It is exacerbated by our staying."

[tekisui]

3. Maliki and the US fear Sadr, now.

He was holding non-violent demonstrations, as Maliki was trying to remove him before the province elections. So much for Democracy.

[druidity33]

5. seen kpetes thread?

from yesterday:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3061959&mesg_id=3061959


a couple of good "synopsis thus far" and "what this could mean" links are there.

[tekisui]

7. Thanks, I had read similar things.

They are all put together in those articles.

[54anickel]

4. Thank you for collecting the additional links. Sure is a cluster-f* now. Or should

I say even more of one. I love the way Kiel closes his analysis. It will have the Wingnuts shouting "Hell yeah" in agreement while the rest of the country tries to decide whether to laugh or cry at the utter stupidity coming out of the Whitehouse these days.

[druidity33]

6. sure no problem

Linking to get the facts out because i'm sure the spin is only just beginning...

and there's a lot of people guessing as to what's going to happen.


There will be a lot of blood shed, that i can tell you.

:(

[druidity33]

8. more from FDL

http://firedoglake.com/2008/03/27/nobody-could-not-have-anticipated/#more-20451

[annabanana]

9. "Mr." Sadr ?

That is the first time I've heard him called that. Is that a Christian Science Monitor thing?

[annabanana]

10. In a typically screwed up way... Sadr is LESS of a friend of Iran

than Maliki is.

We are screwing ourselves in so many different directions. . .