Radical Iraqi cleric urges resistance against US

[demoleft]

Source: ap

NAJAF, Iraq – A powerful cleric whose fearsome militia once battled Americans urged followers Saturday to resist the United States "with all means" in his first public address in Iraq after four years in exile.

Addressing an adoring crowd of thousands, Muqtada al-Sadr also called on the newly formed government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to make sure all U.S. forces leave Iraq by the end of the year as planned. And he warned that "we have the political means" to reject that government if it does not provide security and services to its citizens.

The fiery Shiite cleric, who abruptly returned from Iran earlier this week, whipped the crowd into a frenzy when he called the U.S., Israel and Britain "our common enemies."
...
"Let the whole world hear that we reject America. No, no to the occupier," al-Sadr said during his 35-minute speech. "We don't kill Iraqis — our hands do not kill Iraqis. We target only the occupier with all the means of resistance."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

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afp on the same topic:
http://www.france24.com/en/20110108-sadr-exhorts-iraq-followers-resist-us-occupiers

[gateley]

1. We'll probably send more troops in. I hope Bush, Cheney and Rumsfled burn in Hell. nt

[demoleft]

2. yeah, and as a european i hope tony blair does too...

'Tony Blair has said the Iraq war made the world a safer place and he has "no regrets" about removing Saddam Hussein.
...
When Mr Blair left he was booed by some members of the public and two women shouted at him "you are a liar" and "you are a murderer".'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8485694.stm

[gateley]

5. I've only learned about Blair over the past few years --

I didn't pay much attention to politics at all until 2007, much less what/who was going down in Europe. A real eye opener. But yeah, agree, he needs to roast with them.

[Joanne98]

3. Sadr exhorts Iraqis to resist US 'occupiers'

NAJAF, Iraq — Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday exhorted a boisterous crowd to resist the US "occupation" by all means, in his first speech since returning to his Iraqi home city of Najaf.

"We still resist the occupier, by military resistance, and all the means of resistance," Sadr said in the central Iraq shrine city, where he returned on Wednesday after about four years of self-imposed exile.

Tens of thousands of people turned out to hear him speak, waving a forest of Iraqi flags and pictures of the cleric.

"Iraq passed through difficult circumstances, which made everyone cry, and did not satisfy anyone except our joint enemy -- America, Israel and Britain," Sadr said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h6TSRXfR_6Zuc92LAj3rR3nIvFsQ?docId=CNG.462b48370bb3ec093ddbb66fcae1a987.f1

[social_critic]

4. Whoops, and they said the surge worked

I guess the surge didn't work.

[gateley]

6. And they initially told us we'd be met with open arms and bouquets of flowers. nt