Muqtada al-Sadr

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap

Its not that the industrialists ever opposed him- its that his aims were not the same. I seriously doubt the racial extermination of "untermensch" was part of the plans of Krupps or Siemens:

IIUC, the aims of the industrialists were to head off socialism in any form and to establish a militarist state. They certainly understood when they funded hitler that antisemitism was part of the strategy. They certainly accepted the use of slave labor. They werent to pleased with having their slaves killed, but would accpet that as long as Hitler was winning.

Granted that at some point he was too strong for them to do anything about if they had wanted to - he succeeded too well, in that sense. I doubt Sadr will get so strong that the Mullahs in Teheran wont be able to do anything about him.

[Agathon]

And what does this have to do with anything above in this thread? (Aside from eliding over the divisions within the Iranian oppposition)

It has everything to do with freeing people from Zionist prejudices like yours.

[lord of the mark]

[Joseph]

It sound like Sadrs want to be a DE-facto Dictator behind the scenes. Someone else would be the Pres./PM, but Sadr would run the show.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Ramo
I'll believe it when it happens. Sadr has promised to disband his militia a couple times before (when the US was running Iraq BTW). He may be just buying time.

“But there was skepticism whether Mr Sadr’s offer was genuine or merely a negotiating tactic to forestall an imminent all-out attack on the shrine by Iraqi government forces, which were fighting the cleric’s militia last night.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story...286101,00.html

His crew is either going to surrender or the Iraqis are going to kill them.

Either way, they can do it with legitamite authority.

[Ned]

Ramo, I have no "proof" that the Iranians are acting like their predecessors (Persians and Parthians) in financing the a rebellion against a superpower on their borders, but it seems likely that the Iranians know their own history better than most Americans know their own history. I had a good friend who was Iranian. He was constantly regaling me about "Persian" history. He knew it itimately and was very proud of his country's history.

In both prior examples, the Iranian ploy was successful. The Athenians were totally defeated and the Romans withdrew from Mesopotamia. I think it is quite obvious that the Iranian want to repeat history.

[Giancarlo]

Muqtada Al Sadr is a typical *******. He's one who likes to use weapons and make his people miserable. He should be slowly tortured. Let me guess, are we having apolytoners praising him for rising up "against the illegitimate occupation"? People here are soooooooo out of touch.

[Ned]

AC 130 gunships were pounding Sadr's positions around the Shrine. It appears that a final push may be on. If this is true, the battle in Najaf could be over soon.

US forces are on similar offensives against Sadr's forces in five or six other cities. As well, there is an offensive under way in Falluja.

It looks like Allawi has taken off the kids gloves.

Good man, that Allawi.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Ned
AC 130 gunships were pounding Sadr's positions around the Shrine. It appears that a final push may be on. If this is true, the battle in Najaf could be over soon.

US forces are on similar offensives against Sadr's forces in five or six other cities. As well, there is an offensive under way in Falluja.

It looks like Allawi has taken off the kids gloves.

Good man, that Allawi.

AC-130 gunships? Oh ****. I wouldn't like to be the little idiot on the ground running around trying to avoid the gatling gun.

The battle in Najaf will be over pretty soon... and Sadr will be dead. Then Iraq will go forward. But we should take Sadr alive and Iraqis should execute him like the Romanians did with that one dictator. And then throw their shoes at him.

[Ned]

Giancarlo, hopefully they get him. However, he doesn't appear to be in Najaf.

[Giancarlo]

That guy is a coward. Sadr talks about all this martydom bull**** and it turns out he won't even face the US military himself. He just pays people to do the dirty work for him and end up killed because they don't stand a chance.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Agathon
Are you seriously calling the Iranian theocrats Nazis? Sure, they aren't too hot, but they certainly aren't up to Adolf's standard.

Think of them more like Fascist Italy then.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
IIUC, the aims of the industrialists were to head off socialism in any form and to establish a militarist state. They certainly understood when they funded hitler that antisemitism was part of the strategy. They certainly accepted the use of slave labor. They werent to pleased with having their slaves killed, but would accpet that as long as Hitler was winning.

That they accepted slaves and accepted anti-semitism (most of them probably being anti-semites anyway) are not the same thing as envisioning getting involved in a global ideological war which ended in their destruction. Again, they and Hitler shared aims. That does not mean their aims were the same, nor that Hitler ever felt constrained after he gained power by the whishes of the industrialists.

Granted that at some point he was too strong for them to do anything about if they had wanted to - he succeeded too well, in that sense. I doubt Sadr will get so strong that the Mullahs in Teheran wont be able to do anything about him.

Again, Sadr could want "independence from Iran" whil still sharing aims with Iran, like getting the US out, ensuring the Kurds don't get too much power, and making Iraq a clerical state. Even if Teheran did not have direct control, such an Iraq would more than meet their aims.

[lord of the mark]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi police took control of the Imam Ali Mosque in the holy city of Najaf on Friday, after entering the shrine to find that rebel Shi'ite militia loyal to a radical cleric had left, the Interior Ministry said.

"The Iraqi police are now in control of the shrine, along with the religious authorities," said a senior ministry spokesman.



edit - the skynew version

'NAJAF SHRINE HANDED OVER

Iraqi police say they have taken control of the Imam Ali Mosque in the holy city of Najaf.

The Interior Ministry said they entered the shrine and arrested 400 militia loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al Sadr.

There was no sign of al Sadr himself.

"The Iraqi police are now in control of the shrine, along with the religious authorities," said a senior ministry '

[:) Smiley]

all your base are belong to us