Iranian general played key role in brokering Iraq cease-fire

[Ichingcarpenter]

Iranian general played key role in brokering Iraq cease-fire
By Leila Fadel | McClatchy Newspapers

Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008

BAGHDAD — Iraqi lawmakers traveled to the Iranian holy city of Qom over the weekend to win the support of the commander of Iran's Qods brigades in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to order his followers to stop military operations, members of the Iraqi parliament said.

Sadr ordered the halt on Sunday, and his Mahdi Army militia heeded the order in Baghdad, where the Iraqi government announced it would lift a 24-hour curfew starting early Monday in most parts of the capital.
The backdrop to Sadr's dramatic statement was a secret trip Friday by Iraqi lawmakers to Qom, Iran's holy city and headquarters for the Iranian clergy who run the country.

There the Iraqi lawmakers held talks with Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) brigades of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and signed an agreement with Sadr, which formed the basis of his statement Sunday, members of parliament said.

"We asked Iranian officials to help us persuade him that we were not cracking down on the Sadr group," said an Iraqi official, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/32055.html

[baldguy]

1. Its a sad day when America's role as peacemaker in the ME is taken over by Iran

And we threaten to attack them because of it.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Of course this will be buried by TV news or I would call Censored

This proves that the Iraqis didn't get permission from their amerikan overlords to do this.

[Mountainman]

3. We don't threaten to attack them, Cheney does.

It is a shame that we are defined by this administration. The largest part of this country does not want war with Iran.

[baldguy]

4. The largest part of this country did not want war with Iraq.

We've been there for 5 yrs. That's what happens when democracies fail & power is taken by fascists.

[Wizard777]

5. This shows who has the real power to create change in Iraq.

It's not us or the Iraqi government. It's Sadr and Iran.