Iraq Civil War technically begins: Mahdi army has seized Amarah

[originalpckelly]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iraq.html?hp&ex=1161403200&en=eb96c35aac0be456&ei=5094&partner=homepage

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The Shiite militia run by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized total control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday in one of the boldest acts of defiance yet by one of the country's powerful, unofficial armies, witnesses and police said.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dispatched an emergency security delegation that included the Minister of State for Security Affairs and top officials from the Interior and Defense ministries, Yassin Majid, the prime minister's media adviser, told The Associated Press.

The Mahdi Army fighters stormed three main police stations Friday morning, planting explosives that flattened the buildings, residents said.

About 800 black-clad militiamen with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers were patrolling city streets in commandeered police vehicles, eyewitnesses said. Other fighters had set up roadblocks on routes into the city and sound trucks circulated telling residents to stay indoors."

This is technically a civil war now. This is a troop movement and they have captured a city. It is a standing army.

[originalpckelly]

1. This is not good at all.

Now this thing is about to get really bloody, either Americans or Iraqis will fight this army, and since the Mahdi army has training and the appropriate supplies, this is not going to go well.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Those peace and democracy loving Iraqis sure know how to throw a party.

Bush must be so proud...............

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. If it is a standing army, they are no longer "enemy combatants" under law

That would be both US law, international law and the Geneva Conventions. Not that the Junta in this country gives a damn, but it is worth noting.

[Finder]

11. Exactly.. And it looks like we will be leaving very soon. n/t

[Hav]

4. .

I suppose that we will see many more bad news from Iraq in the near future. Bush fucked it up.

[originalpckelly]

5. This is very very bad...

think fallujah only people who are better armed and more co-ordinated.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Don't foget the big ammo dump that they blew up last week

Houston we've got a big problem.

[originalpckelly]

13. Notice how that conveniently disappeared from the news...

when we found out insurgents did it?

[Frustratedlady]

16. I was just thinking about that, last night...

Looking at the size of those explosions, I thought it would be in the top 5 items for days, but you could hardly find any mention of it in ANY of the media. I thought that was very strange. I wonder how long it will take to quiet this incident down and get it off the top 10. After all, the election is just around the corner.

[Jed Dilligan]

6. Didn't they do something like this before? Sadr City?

I think we have a history of "negotiating" with Moqtada

[Javaman]

21. Wasn't it Ramadi? I vaguely remember them taking over that city

early in 2004. I could have my dates and places wrong.

[Jed Dilligan]

24. Ramadi's in the Sunni triangle

Highly unlikely that Sadr took it--that would REALLY be civil war.

I think he had Sadr city locked down at some point.

[Javaman]

25. It was a town in the south and the Big cheese cleric had to come in and

say a few words to get people calm down. Dang I wish I could remember the name of the town.

Sadr's army had taken it over. I also remember at the time (it being early in the war) about the controversial option of shooting into or at a mosque. I think it was Mosul?

[Kagemusha]

7. Oh like the government side taking hostages is better.

I mentioned that on the last thread on this and I'll keep mentioning it because it's actually important: the Badr Corps expects its hostage taking to be sanctioned by the government and expects it to be defended against the Mahdi Army's retaliation for that act. The Badr Corps seems to claim ownership of the police that were kicked out and considered that city theirs a lot more than the government's.

[doc03]

9. I thinks I could settle this Iraq thing,

what we do is let Saddam out of jail and put him in charge and get the f out of there.

[greenman3610]

10. They're just doing it to make Bush look bad.

They've all agreed to kill each other just to
spite the Republican party.
Bastards!

[Justice Is Comin]

12. Crank up those paid in advance good news reports.

All presses on deck, loop the poopdeck, shoot the messenger, fire in the hole.

[Coexist]

14. this is the beginning of the end.

[sampsonblk]

15. Its the Libruls and MSM again!

Everything is fine in Iraq. US troops just built two new soccer fields last week! The media didn't tell you that, did they? See! They are all liberals!
/sarc

[originalpckelly]

17. Yeah and that general who said it was "disheartening"

is also a liberal!

[annabanana]

18. Expect MAJOR set up to blame Dems for everything

that is going to hell right now....

CNN is starting the spin at this very moment..

[leftchick]

19. and that's not all! Protests for Saddams Release!!

Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that tribal leaders and Baathists have recently formed protest groups in Tikrit and Kirkuk aimed at lobbying for the release of deposed president Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi Ministry of the Interior reacted with alarm to this development, threatening to arrest the founders of such pro-Saddam organizations.

http://www.juancole.com/

[Kagemusha]

20. This isn't the first time there's been such protests

maybe not protest *groups* to this extent.. so organizing would run afoul of the laws on the books.. but um whatever. More thoughtcrime.

[Frustratedlady]

22. I remember reading some article, which said that if Saddam

is convicted, there will be such an uprising of the Baathists, it will be a disaster and cause another boil on the bottom of Iraq, that will be difficult to heal...or something to that effect. Now, I can't find the article.

[KoKo]

26. Saddam looking better and better every day to the Iraqi's .....one would

think, given what we've done in our invasion and occupation. Saddam's corruption might pale in comparison to what has gone on first with the CPA and whatever else that we don't know about yet is going on, now. :eyes:

[redwitch]

23. Uh...Freedom is untidy?

Don't worry, they just did this to mess with the elections here next month.