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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (47355)	5/27/2004 10:16:24 AM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793961

However the overall situation is not good. The situation is a whole lot better than it was in April, when the insurgents shot their coordinated wad. The insurgency fizzled because we were so damned cunning. Instead of taking the bait at Fallujah, we were patient, enlisted the locals to do our dirty work while giving the insurgents the illusion that they had won. The insurgency is for all practical purposes kaput. We are going to get Sadr and Zarqawi; it's just a matter of time. Then we'll see whose bets were good. Decapitating a few guys who stupidly wander around and doing it for effect just doesn't wrok in the long run. Oh, the media and the lefties go nuts, but these things are militarily irrelevant. What happened when we went in, Mike? They had disappeared, gone. Don't believe the common wisdom, and certainly don't believe the media. The NYT is just now reporting that Sadr is offering to deal despite the fact that this has been known for days. Screw him, he has a warrant against him. He's toast. I hope the US military does to him what should have been done a long, long time ago--put him six feet under. nytimes.com Rebel Cleric Offers to Pull Out Part of His Militia From Najaf By CHRISTINE HAUSER Published: May 27, 2004 AGHDAD, Iraq, May 27 — The rebel Shiite cleric leading a resistance to the American-led occupation has offered to withdraw some of his militia from Najaf and allow Iraqi security forces to keep order there, the Iraqi national security adviser said today. As part of the deal, the cleric, Moktada al-Sadr, would also prevent his supporters from carrying weapons in the holy city, a spokesman for Mr. Sadr added. Advertisement The American-led coalition "has approved the plan in principle" but would "announce their position" later today, said the national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie. Mr. Rubaie read a statement from the cleric on the Arabic-language satellite television station Al Jazeera, saying that Mr. Sadr had offered to evacuate those militia members who were not from Najaf and to hold talks on the future of the militia and on judicial issues. The statement conditioned the partial rebel withdrawal on a withdrawal of occupation forces, except for small units needed to protect coalition headquarters and Iraqi government buildings. The Iraqi police and security forces would assume responsibility for security in the city, the statement said. Mr. Sadr informed Shiite leaders and governing council members of the plan late Wednesday. His spokesman, Qais al-Khazali, confirmed today that Mr. Sadr had not offered to withdraw all his forces. "But there are instructions not to show arms," he said. Mr. Khazali said the withdrawal of the militia was contingent on American agreement with the initiative. If both sides agree to the plan, it would end the worst fighting in Iraqi Shiite cities since the start of the year-old American-led occupation. The battles have raged close to shrines in Najaf and in Karbala; both cities are sacred pilgrimage sites for the world's Shiite Muslims. A delegation from the American-allied Iraqi Governing Council was in Najaf today staging a strike in mosques and shrines until a political solution is reached. "Our goal is to reactivate all peaceful initiatives," said a deputy to a governing council member, Jawad Bolani. Hundreds of Iraqis have been killed in Najaf and Karbala, medical officials say. Mr. Sadr's offer followed fierce clashes on Wednesday between American forces and militiamen in the cemetery in Najaf, as well as in a Baghdad slum where Mr. Sadr has strong support. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said on Wednesday that a "very large number" of fighters were killed in the battles.