US military threatens to hit back if Sadr launches war

Source: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A top US general on Sunday warned that the military would strike back after hardline Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr threatened to launch a new uprising by his militia.

"I hope Moqtada al-Sadr continues to depress violence and not encourage it," said Major General Rick Lynch, commander of US forces in central Iraq.

Lynch, whose area of control includes the Shiite provinces of Babil, Wasit, Karbala and Najaf, said his forces were ready to take on Sadr and his feared Mahdi Army militia if they choose to fight Iraqi and American forces.

"If Sadr and Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) become very aggressive, we've got enough combat power to take the fight to the enemy," Lynch told a group of reporters from Western news networks.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080420/wl_afp/iraqunrestsadr_080420121536

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Rice visit to Iraq intended to promote gains
By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer

BAGHDAD - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Iraq to promote fresh political gains she says are flowing from government-led assaults on radical militias.

Rice's brief heavily guarded visit Sunday was not announced in advance, in keeping with security precautions adopted by all top U.S. officials who remain targets of the anti-American insurgents five years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The top U.S. diplomat was meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, his Kurdish president and other top officials. She was also honoring Americans killed in the Green Zone, the heavily protected compound that houses the U.S. embassy and much of the Iraqi central government.

Rice told reporters she sees signs that al-Maliki's assaults on militia forces in Basra last month have brought sectarian and ethnic groups together in an unprecedented way. She said she wants to capitalize on that cohesion.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080420/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rice


Battle to retake Basra was 'complete disaster'
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:34am BST 20/04/2008



The British-trained Iraqi Army's attempt to retake Basra from militiamen was an "unmitigated disaster at every level", British commanders have disclosed.

Senior sources have said that the mission was undermined by incompetent officers and untrained troops who were sent into battle with inadequate supplies of food, water and ammunition.


They said the failure had delayed the British withdrawal by "many months".

Their comments came as the Iraqi army, this time directly supported by American and British forces, began a second operation in Basra in an attempt to find insurgent weapons caches.

The push, which was met with fierce resistance, took place in the Hayania district of the city, where there were clashes two weeks ago.

In the first operation, it is understood that one Iraqi brigade became a "busted flush" after 1,200 of its soldiers deserted.


more:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/20/wiraq120.xml

Almost lost the corn flakes on that one this morning!

and in a 'war' that means a hell of a lot.

Of course, the US military has a proven record of killing everything that moves from the air. That's the ONLY advantage they've got. Using air power and DU and white phosphorus.

He also needs to remove his lips from the Chimp's organ

just get the hell out of there and let those poor people get on with their Civil War?

There's no good outcome to this thing except resolution on their terms. It's going to be horrible, but only American arrogance presumes that we can put hundreds of years of history and clan, tribe, and religious loyalties aside and impose peace.

The US had a little dust-up over what kind of country we wanted, and it cost 600,000 American lives.

Stupid.... but there's never been any shortage of that.

Source: Agence France-Presse

A top US general on Sunday warned that the military would strike back after hardline Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr threatened to launch a new uprising by his militia.

"I hope Moqtada al-Sadr continues to depress violence and not encourage it," said Major General Rick Lynch, commander of US forces in central Iraq.

Lynch, whose area of control includes the Shiite provinces of Babil, Wasit, Karbala and Najaf, said his forces were ready to take on Sadr and his feared Mahdi Army militia if they choose to fight Iraqi and American forces.

"If Sadr and Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) become very aggressive, we've got enough combat power to take the fight to the enemy," Lynch told a group of reporters from Western news networks.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/_US_military_threatens_to_hit_0420.html

The enemy? You mean Iraqis who had nothing to do w/ 9/11,
had never attacked America, were no threat to America, had no
WMDs, and now want their country back ... that enemy?

fighting Iraqi all this time. Bad.

wonder if this one will play out any differently? . . .

since Yugoslavia was occupied from 1941 to 1945. The story of the occupation and conflicting resistance movements is quite interesting, to say the least.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/savich3.html

but not in the sense of controlled. Like, say, Poland.

A corrupt U. S. puppet government, not supported by the citizens of a country illegally invaded.

Every dumbasss who voted for or supported or authorized this war is fucking idiot, a scoundrel or a complete fool.

The Corrupt puppet government putting their $$$$$ Bribes into Swiss Banks by the Boatload.

And like the saudi princes going to Cannes to get a shot from the Hookers there

And we had "our Tet" a few weeks ago when Maliki sent his troops against
Sadr's militia and many quit or gave their guns to the other side ... the idea
that the "Government in the Green Zone" has control over the rest of the
country is a f***ing joke.

Running the show Malaki et al

Stay out of our turf, Sadr.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3290234

he does have an army or two in this dog fight

With out the "Coalition Forces" ie Blackwater and the 82nd airborne, he is a snake oil and carpet salesman.