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Politics : THE WHITE HOUSE -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: d[-_-]b who wrote (18969)	4/2/2008 1:27:24 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25737

Re: "In the end he got his ass handed to him and he knows it no matter how he attempts to spin the story." (This is the third time his movement has been attacked... each time they come out stronger....) This time it's considered likely that he'll wind up with political control (through the elections in Basra for the Governorship in October) of the biggest source of wealth in Iraq... and the home region to the largest number of Shia. It probably ain't really 'surrender' when it's your opponents (in the government) who first send THEIR representatives to negotiate with you personally in Iran... and then, after a deal is cut, it's you who publicly issue the demands (release of all un-charged prisoners, stand-still agreement ending attacks on your people, etc., etc.), not them, and who --- as a consequence of the good PR value of being seen as a 'Man of peace', <g>, and of holding your own ground militarily in numerous cities across the land, most importantly your strongholds in the oil-rich Basra region, and the Sadr City area of the national capital, comes out politically strengthened. Reports are that it's Maliki's government that may be wobbly now, perhaps to fall, and the Sadrists strengthened for the upcoming regional elections in October (they boycotted the last election), where it seems likely they will take control of the regional government formally in the area from which most of the wealth which finances the national government is derived.... Sadr --- who's father was killed by Saddam --- leads one of the two largest Shiite political organizations in the Iraqi government, and is a rival for Maliki's Shiite Militia group. *Incidentally... BOTH Shiite groups are supported by Iran. So Iran has hedged their bets all around and comes out a winner no matter which Shiite group winds up in control.* IRAQI POWER STRUGGLES Spiegel Online The Big Prize of Basra By Bernhard Zand spiegel.de Message 24457114