US, Iraqi forces raid Sadr City (Maliki is NOT amused)

[peacebird]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces on Wednesday raided Sadr City, the stronghold of the feared Shiite militia led by radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated."
<snip>
Al-Maliki, who is commander in chief of Iraq's army, heatedly denied he knew anything about the raid:

"We will ask for clarification about what has happened in Sadr City. We will review this issue with the multinational forces so that it will not be repeated...The Iraqi government should be aware and part of any military operation. Coordination is needed between Iraqi government and multinational forces."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061025/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[rfranklin]

1. Ha-ha-ha! This guy thinks he's in charge!

What a funny guy!

[saigon68]

11. Here are the Guys in charge

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. Here are the guys in charge.

[saigon68]

13. The snipers are in charge

[Cooley Hurd]

2. It's apparent WHO the US wants as its next Iraqi dictator...

We're contemplating giving amnesty to Sunni insurgents while going after the Shiite militias. The next "strongman" will be a Sunni, which is going to inflame the other 60% of the population and lead to an even GREATER amount of bloodshed...:(

Fiasco isn't a strong-enough word to describe all of this.:grr:

[underpants]

3. This is nothing new. Maliki is just making political hay

This is just Maliki playing like he is one with his fellow Iraqis (not that he stuck it out with them in the lean years) purely for show.

We have been in Sadr City for a while now and from what I heard these raids were okayed by Maliki and all the other Iraqis (they signed off on it) months ago. Maliki and his other potentates of the Green Zone would benefit greatly if alSadr was out of the picture or at least knocked down a few pegs.

[Kagemusha]

14. So we've heard. The US hasn't actually done it though.

Just nibbling at the edges of a constantly growing organization.

[BootinUp]

4. Coordination is needed so

the proper number of American soldier boys can be killed in ambushes.

[twilight_sailing]

5. Be a good puppet, Maliki,

sing and dance for the people.

[Tempest]

6. Bush: "Iraq is sovereignty, and is viewed as a sovereign entity."

Or some such nonsense.

[sabra]

7. Iraq PM bristles over U.S. raid on Shi'ite militia ("lack of coordination")

http://in.today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-10-25T180031Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-273535-6.xml

Iraq PM bristles over U.S. raid on Shi'ite militia

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister pledged on Wednesday to crack down on illegal militias but criticised a U.S. raid on a Shi'ite militia stronghold that killed at least four people.

A day after U.S. officials assured Americans the prime minister had agreed "timelines" to help end sectarian militia violence, Nuri al-Maliki used his own news conference to dismiss talk of any "timetable" for action.

The U.S. military said Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. air strikes conducted the raid in the Sadr City district of Baghdad "to capture a top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death squad activity".

Unusually, the U.S. statement specifically said the raid had been "authorised by the government of Iraq".

But Maliki, who is under mounting pressure from an impatient Washington to curb violence so U.S. forces can start to go home, said there was a "lack of coordination" in the raid. The Interior Ministry said four people were killed and 20 wounded.

[Dhalgren]

8. As usual, Team Bush is all on the same page - what was that

page's name again?

[Nihil]

9. *snort*

:spray:

:applause:

[jefferson_dem]

10. Iraqi PM distances himself from U.S.

...why does he hate 'merca?

Iraqi PM distances himself from U.S.
By Mariam Karouny and Paul Holmes

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki distanced himself on Wednesday from a U.S.-announced "timeline" to end sectarian violence and criticized a raid on a Shi'ite militia stronghold aimed at a death squad leader.

Maliki, himself a Shi'ite Muslim, spoke a day after the top U.S. civilian and military officials in Iraq said his government had agreed to a series of steps to end the bloodshed over the next year that would allow U.S. troops to start going home.

"The Americans have the right to review their policies but we do not believe in a timetable and no one will impose one on us," Maliki told a news conference in remarks that seemed aimed at dispelling any perception he is a pawn of the White House.

He also contradicted a U.S. military statement which said Wednesday's Iraqi-U.S. ground and air assault on the crowded Sadr City slum district of Baghdad, in which four people were killed, had been authorized by his government.

"We will be seeking an explanation from the multinational forces to avoid a repetition of what happened without our cooperation in advance," Maliki said.

<SNIP>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061025/ts_nm/iraq_dc_43