Allawi makes surprise visit to Najaf

Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi paid a surprise visit to the holy Muslim city of Najaf on Sunday, the scene of recent fierce fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents that has left an estimated 300 rebels dead. Allawi called on the militia fighters to "leave the holy sites quickly, lay down their weapons and return to the rule of order and law."

"They will leave, God willing," Allawi said.
Allawi said Saturday he believes that the people behind the violence in Najaf are common criminals and foreign forces -- not part of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army.

U.S. officials have accused al-Sadr, a maverick, anti-U.S. Shiite cleric, of fomenting unrest. He is wanted in connection with the killing of a rival cleric last year. A senior U.S. military official Sunday said there was no direct evidence that the fighters in Najaf were acting on al-Sadr's orders although they are wearing the black uniforms representative of the Mehdi Army. That official said that there is evidence of competing factions within al-Sadr's organization and that the fighters appear to be broken into squads of 10 to 12 men each.

The military official said U.S. Marines have created a ring around the bulk of the rebel forces gathered at the Imam Ali mosque -- one of the holiest Shiite shrines -- and an ancient Najaf cemetery. The goal is to prevent the rebels from being resupplied and reinforced at the mosque, which, he said, they are using as a safe house.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/08/iraq.main/index.html

I wonder if he brought his famous pistol?

They flew him in in their own air force

Protected by 100 guards, Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi made a short, unannounced visit to the war-shattered city of Najaf on Sunday, calling on activists to lay down their weapons after days of intense clashes with U.S. forces.

http://newsobserver.com/24hour/world/story/1551841p-9117512c.html

They would smoke his sorry ass if he didn't have half the mercenary army surrounding him

by the way your link doesn't work

do you have any pics of the Brave man and his entourage?

Now, how would you feel if the U.S. was overrun by a vastly superior military force, then that nation installed a bunch of guys and called them "the government", then one of them came calling in your hometown escorted by a huge phalanx of armed foreign nationals?

I can't believe anyone would think too highly of such a quisling.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x735783

Would be link found within first reply to original message...if interested.

I have nothing but disgust for that hand-picked puppet.

When they get their hands on him, it's going to be ugly.

Just watched the fat bastard waddle down the street. He was surrounded by HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN MERCENARIES, MARINES ARMY TROOPS ETC. He had maybe 1 or 2 IRAQIS with him

Yes, I AM hoping for Illawi's death, Mr. Ashcroft. So FUCK YOU!

What a terrible way to live. I can't begin to imagine!

Not pretty. For the Allawis of the world, fortune can change fast if the imperial power decides they aren't worth the trouble. Chalabi is getting the business now, too.