Sadr militia backs UN peacekeeping forces in Iraq: spokesman

[True_Blue]

SOFIA (AFP) - A spokesman for radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr called for the sending of UN peacekeeping troops to Iraq (news - web sites) and demanded the immediate withdrawal of US-led occupation forces, in an interview with Bulgarian television.

"It is in the interest of the whole world to send peacekeeping forces under the UN flag" to Iraq, said Qais al-Khazaali, spokesman for Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.

But "the occupation forces must withdraw from the occupied regions and must release political prisoners. The war will thus end," he said.

"If the Americans continue to act on the ground," the war "in Vietnam will appear easy and simple" compared with what awaits them in Iraq.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040418/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_shiites_sadr&e=3&ncid=1473

[flaminlib]

1. Oh great!

Yet another challenge for bush to seize on. This could get very very ugly.

[wtmusic]

3. It IS great

al Sadr is driving the wedge farther between the US and the world community. It's brilliant, and it will work.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Sadr is proving to have better PsyOps than we do

Not a good thing. We are exposing all of our weaknesses to the entire world. Fucking Bush.

Don

[flaminlib]

6. Work in what way?

I see a further escalation coming, nothing else. If you think bush will let this go unanswered, you are way more optimistic than I am.

I just dont see him letting sadr and the un taking over his war.


Hope im wrong

[wtmusic]

7. It is forcing * to reconsider

allowing a UN peacekeeping force to take over part and parcel. If he were smart enough to do it, it may (unfortunately) even save the election for him.

[dusty64]

24. He won't do it as it

will stop the very reasons he started his war. The loss of reconstruction contracts and control over Iraq's resources and the halting of his crusade to "save" the Iraqi People.

[Just Me]

15. You are probably "right".

Unfortunately.

[tridim]

4. One thing is certain

Bush will make the wrong decision in the matter and many more people will die. Laura and Shrub will proclaim they "had a great year".

If Bush doesn't take this deal he's clearly insane.

[Mari333]

2. We must beg our senators and congress people to get the UN in

and get our troops out..please.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[Just Me]

16. Oh, Mari,...my heart hurts for you,...

,...and I have avoided posting anything because nothing I know could compare to your suffering. I have an adolescent son. I fear losing him to a war he should never be required to serve, whether by choice or otherwise.

I only wish that this freon neocon adminstration COULD do anything to reverse their mistakes,...even IF it involved their own self-interests which powered their motivations.

They burned and continue to burn all bridges.

It will take a wave of "human" will to overcome these struggles.

I am sorry.

:cry:

[demoman123]

8. Kerry could do this, but Bush can't and won't

This proposal fits in with Kerry's platform on Iraq. But there is a long time between now and the election.

[sspiderjohn]

9. Will Sadr talk to a UN rep? Will a UN rep talk to Sadr?

nt

[fearnobush]

10. Bush has a cruise missle with Sadr's name on it.

His goal is to capture or kill him.

[Earth_First]

11. Political brilliance...

I don't want to have this sound as though I sympathize for Sadr one way or another, this is strictly objective analysis of a situation, however, this is sheer brilliance and a case of political hardball that will be a situation that will likely only build to his support as the United States attempts to discredit his support.

[seventhson]

12. If Bush kills Sadr now he is proving to the whole world that he...

cares nothing about the Iraqis, the troops, or the future of that region.

Sadr makes way more sense than Bush with this proposal.

Bush has to BEGF the UN to help and this offer can get out troops out and the region at least relatively stabilized with a promise of Democracy.

If we can cut deals with Qaddafi we can surely make peace with the leader of their freedom movement.

This is an offer that cannot be refused intelligently.

It also leads the way for peace.

But I assume that the Bush greed will prevail over the value of our children's lives in this war.

[demoman123]

14. You know Bush's line on Sadr...

"Small faction."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040417.html

[newyawker99]

22. Hi demoman123!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NMDemDist2]

13. don't think i'll hold my breath

waiting for W to do the smart thing

[Daisey Mae]

17. Sadr is so smart and he has the right solution

BUT Bush doesn't want peace for our troops or for the people of Iraq....He has told us he is a WAR president and he is totally Religiously INSANE and very BLOODTHIRSTY... He is very happy with the way things are going... this is a whole lot more fun then the Death Row Gig he had in Texas...That ,was only 100 or200 dead... the war already has 600+ dead US plus all the dead Iraq's Dead which is in the thousands... Heck he has made it in the Big leagues....Blood all around and much much more to come....He loves it...He is in league with OTHER world class serial murders......

[seventhson]

23. Necrophilia runs in the Bush genes

cannibalism would not surprise me either actually.

Bloodlust and the lust for the power to mercilessly kill for thrills is necrophilic - and I am afraid we have a lot of sick mammon-obsessed fools in power for whom this killing gives them the biggest orgasmic-like release they can get: like serial killers - it gewts them off but in reality they are morally and spiritually void and impotent.

[daleo]

18. But Bush wants the oil

I just can't see him going along. Possible reasons:
- no guarantee of cheap oil
- will look 'weak' to RW
- would validate France and Russia
- Cheney wouldn't like it
- PNAC wouldn't like it
- Chalabi wouldn't like it
- Sharon wouldn't like it
- pentagon would lose bases in Iraq, after having given them up in Saudi Arabia
- delays The Rapture, fundies wouldn't like it

But it does give Kerry an exit strategy, if he can muster the courage to use it.

[Iceburg]

21. Bush's Executive Order 13303 is on the line

he must forfeit his self-acclaimed right to Iraq's oil before the UN goes in.

[leQ]

19. oh great, we have a solution

so, what are the odds bush will do the right thing and stop this nonsense with sadr?

[Just Me]

20. He is PROVING his "motivations",...and exposing the Bush regime's,...

,...intentions to "control" everything,...imagine that!!! He is simply emphasizing the underlying objectives by our "regime". Makes him look "good" against our regime's "bad".