Victory for Al-Sadr in Basra?
April 1, 2008
Just when you thought the Basra operation--after a rocky start--had ended up being a pretty solid success for Iraq's security forces, along comes the Wall Street Journal to rain on the parade:
The Iraqi government's inability to oust Moqtada al-Sadr's militia from Basra has boosted the fortunes of the Shiite cleric while damaging the standing of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Mr. Sadr appears to be the one clear winner from the inconclusive fighting in the country's second-biggest city, which began to taper off Monday after the cleric urged his followers to observe a truce.
The failure of the Iraqi strikes against Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army has implications for both U.S. policy in Iraq and the presidential campaign.
Worsening conditions in Iraq pose a particular challenge for likely Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, who has staked his candidacy on his ability to persuade antiwar voters that victory in Iraq remains possible. Sen. McCain departed from his usual talking points about Iraq Monday to say that he was surprised by Mr. Maliki's decision to order the Basra strike.
"Maliki decided to take on this operation without consulting the Americans," he told reporters traveling with him in Mississippi. "I'm surprised he'd take it on himself to go down and take charge of a military offensive."
U.S. and British commanders said that Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army fought the Iraqi forces to a draw and were able to retain their control over large portions of Basra and other Shiite areas of the country.
Read it all. Sobering stuff, as is this piece from Time. I'm starting to think that Al-Sadr is the jihadi version of Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees. Every time you think he's done, he reemerges from the dead to cause further violence, mayhem and misery. He also rivals those two infamous bogeymen in the ugliness department (see here), even without a mask or makeup.
STAKELBECK ON TERROR Main Page >>
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
