Iraqi cleric: US seeking to 'occupy' Mideast

[The Northerner]

BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. plans to station troops across the Mideast after withdrawing from Iraq amount to occupying other Islamic countries, Iraq's most outspoken anti-American cleric said in an interview broadcast on Thursday.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he's not satisfied with President Barack Obama's pledge to pull all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year, calling it a partial withdrawal because of the thousands of diplomats and security guards who will stay behind.

"The American occupation will stay in Iraq under different names," al-Sadr told Al-Arabiya TV in his first interview since Obama announced the troop pullout last month.

Al-Sadr noted the Pentagon's recent reminders that it will keep an estimated 40,000 troops across the region.

Read more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20111103/D9QPESU80.html

[Luminous Animal]

1. Well, that's true.

[NOLALady]

2. kick

[fascisthunter]

3. that's been the Grand Ole Plan (GOP) all along

with frauds from our own party's help.

[hack89]

4. The small arab states aren't stupid

caught between a Shia Iraq and a Shia Iran, countries like Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE understand just how dangerous the neighborhood has become. Why do you think they have invited the US to stay?

[RZM]

6. You're right. It's simple power politics

A nuclear-armed Iran + no US counterweight = bad news for the Sunni Arab states in the Gulf region. Plain and simple.

[classysassy]

10. The invited

Americans are invited to protect the greedy Muslims who could care less about the poor,they have been westernized,just check where most of them went to9 college.

[malaise]

5. Duh!

Yep!

[provis99]

7. well he's got a talent for stating the obvious.

[DirkGently]

8. We're bringing them democracy. It's packed into every murder drone missile!

[hack89]

9. No - the small states want us to protect them from the large states

it is a tough neighborhood - you don't think Kuwait remembers 1990?

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Give me a break

on that tired old bullshit

[hack89]

12. So the area does not have a long and rich history of violence,war and conquest?

history did not start with the founding of America - just saying.

[dipsydoodle]

13. And all those listening ,in one accord ,shouted

ولا Sherlock برعشيت which translates as No shit Sherlock.