Al-Sadr Says He Remains in Control of Mahdi Army, Criticizes Government, Americans

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

A feisty Muqtada al-Sadr, making his first public appearance since May, said in a TV interview aired Saturday that he was in almost total control of the Mahdi Army and that the "liberation" of Iraq was his militia's chief goal.

The radical Shiite cleric also said the impact of the U.S. presence on Iraq was more negative than that of Saddam Hussein's Baath party, ousted in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Al-Sadr alleged that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a fellow Shiite, was as "distant" from the people of Iraq as Saddam's Sunni-led regime. The government, he said, was "looking after its own interests, not those of the people."

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Differences between the government and al-Sadr's supporters came to a head after hundreds of arrests by U.S. and Iraqi forces of al-Sadr supporters that U.S. commanders say are members of Iran-linked cells attacking American soldiers.

In the interview, al-Sadr said the militia's "strategic objective" was "the liberation of Iraq from the occupier," meaning the Americans. He outlined the aims of his political movement, saying he wants to rid Iraq of sectarian politics, prevent its breakup and create an Islamic society.





Read more: http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=106867

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Reminder: Saddam Hussein killed this guy's father

"The radical Shiite cleric also said the impact of the U.S. presence on Iraq was more negative than that of Saddam Hussein's Baath party, ousted in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion."

:wow:

[hobbit709]

2. There's lots more Shia than Sunni

And look how much trouble the Sunni caused the occupiers.

[alfredo]

3. And they control the region between Baghdad and our escape route.

[Doctor_J]

4. The White House Babboon said that these are the last few growing pains

as Pax Americana holds sway. Sounds to me like Al-Sadr disagrees.