Muqtada's Shi'ites raise the stakes
And the US/CPA has called (holding an ace high straight flush).
Iraqi Judge Issues Arrest Warrant for Sadr
The Associated Press
Monday, April 5, 2004; 11:40 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An Iraqi judge has issued a murder arrest warrant for a radical Shiite Muslim cleric, Muqtada Sadr, for the slaying of another Shiite leader shortly after the U.S.-led invasion of the country, coalition officials said Monday.
Coalition spokesman Dan Senor announced the warrant but would not say when Sadr would be detained. "There'll be no advance warning," he said.
The announcement of the warrant came a day after violent clashes between militiamen loyal to Sadr that killed 52 Iraqis, eight U.S. soldiers and a Salvadoran soldier -- some of the worst gunbattles since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
Since the violence, Sadr has been holed up in a mosque in the city of Kufa, south of Baghdad, surrounded by armed supporters.
Senor said the arrest warrant had been issued several months ago. He refused to say why Sadr had not been arrested earlier.
Sadr is accused in the slaying of Abdel-Majid al-Khoei, a rival Shiite cleric who was stabbed to death by a mob at a Shiite shrine in the city of Najaf in April.
A total of 25 arrest warrants have been issued in the case, and 13 suspects have been taken into custody. Sunday's violence in Baghdad and other cities was sparked by the arrest last week of Mustafa al-Yacoubi, a senior aide to al-Sadr, on one of the warrants.
© 2004 The Associated Press
washingtonpost.com
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And who was Al-Khoei, and why was he important?
smh.com.au
abcnews.go.com
And Al-Khoei was the son of a Grand Ayatollah, the same rank currently held by Al-Sistani.
His death greatly weakened Al-Sistani's hold over the Shiite community, especially in the radical segments.
But it's going to be pretty over the next couple of months as we apparently are going to have to take on Al-Sadr's people in order to get at him.
Btw, note that this was an Iraqi judge who order Sadr's arrest, not the CPA.
But there's little doubt that this was what Bremer has been holding over Sadr's head, should he step out of line too far.. And the events in Sadr city quarter of Baghdad were definitely out of line.. Sadr essentially sent his people out to give the US troops a bloody nose so as to send notice that he's willing to use violence should he not get his way..
Hawk |
