Army surrounds Shi'ite mosque

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1964866,00.html

Baghdad - United States and Iraqi forces with armoured vehicles surrounded a Shi'ite mosque in southeastern Baghdad on Saturday, in what appeared to be the latest operation against Shi'ite militias.

There was no immediate comment from the US military or the Iraqi interior ministry, but a policeman at the scene outside the Sadrain Mosque in the Zafaraniya district said he believed they were trying to arrest members of the Shi'ite Mehdi Army.

The mosque is believed to be loyal to radical young cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi Army fighters have been the target of several recent operations by government and US forces, including a major raid on Baghdad's Sadr City area on Friday.

The US military said it had captured a major militant suspect, Abu Deraa, accused of kidnappings and murders, in the Sadr City raid.

[Ksec]

1. Iraq is a mess.

Its getting worse. Stories like these seem common today.

:(

[azurnoir]

2. But, but,

I thought the Shia in Iraq were our Friends.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Only our Shia puppets hiding in the Green Zone are our friends n/t

[azurnoir]

7. Sorry forgot

the :sarcasm: sometimes these days it feels like I have to use too often.

[acmavm]

4. I read an article a while back that said that we've been very lucky that

we haven't come up against al Sadr and his Medhi forces. The article claimed that al Sadr is the one man in all of Iraq capable of calling for a widespread attack against the foreign troops and the quisling government and it would happen.

Well, we've stirred every other hornet's nest over there, why not this one?

[Disturbed]

5. Al Sadr's Malitia fought US forces before.

Al Sistani personally went to a Iraq holy city to interceed and persuaded al Sadr to retreat and a truce
was established.

[acmavm]

8. Yeah, I know. But this article was referring to the present and near

future.

While Al Sistani is still thought of as having some religious authority it is al Sadr who has the ear and devotion of the Iraqi people. It seemed to be saying that he is just biding his time, waiting for the best opportunity to assert his power.

[leftchick]

6. There have been conflicting reports about Abu Deraa

Some claim he has not been captured. Who the fuck knows. I do know this is a US operation with a couple of Iraqis thrown in for 'legitimacy'. :eyes: