The real story is American troops forced to retreat from Sadr City

[bronxiteforever]

"US troops yesterday abandoned checkpoints around the Shi’ite militia stronghold of Sadr City on orders from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the latest in a series of moves by the Iraqi leader to assert his authority with the US administration.

extra checkpoints were set up last week as US troops launched an intensive search for a missing soldier, who has yet to be found.

Supporters of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr celebrated in the streets of Sadr City, bastion of his Mehdi Army. An aide hailed the end of a "barbaric siege" begun to help find a kidnapped U.S. soldier possibly being held by militiamen." from the wires

I guess we are leaving a man behind and our troops are under foreign control (remember freeper complaints about Un and European control of US troops-well now US troops have to take it when a radical fundamentalist anti-american Cleric gets ticked off-wonder how that is going down in freeperville?

[Erika]

1. So the Iraq extremist militias now have say over our actions

to rescue one of our own? What a freaking mess.

[Tinksrival]

2. Behind the scenes.......

Political negotiation to let up on the bloodshed in the last week run up to the elections can back fire in the long run. Will deal that was struck last longer than a week?
For the soldiers sake, I hope so.

[Ouabache]

3. yes the Commander in Chimp turned over command of US troops

to a foreign head of government; this should have the anti-UN repuke types with exploding heads.

[MrWrite]

4. The spin that can make this front page news

The angle that fascinates me is that THIS event got the reponse from the Iraqi people that Cheney and Rummy annouced woul be the one our guys received. After the pull-backs, that storekeepers were celebating passing out chocolates and sodas to the people in the streers.

It's the 'flowers and candy' parade speech that SOMEONE must have on video. Anyone?

"A trained ape can know an awful lot of what is going on in this world, just by punching on his mouse, for a relatively modest cost."
– Donald Rumsfeld [ I don't think the SecDef answers his own email if he thinks you punch a mouse to get info. I'm so glad this dinosaur in change of the most high-tech weaponry and sophisticated artificial intelligence in the history of mankind. Helps me sleep at night. Really.