Congress may amuse itself by fiddling with non-binding resolutions and “symbolic” votes, but at least one politician has bestirred himself to take action: Muqtada Sadr voted with his feet:
While members of the U.S. House of Representatives take turns weighing in on President Bush’s planned troop surge in Iraq, the focus in Iraq is not on the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country’s most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.
According to senior military officials, al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family.
Al Sadr commands the Mahdi army, one of the most formidable insurgent militias in Iraq, and his move coincides with the announced U.S. troop surge in Baghdad.
Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital. One official told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, “He is scared he will get a JDAM [bomb] dropped on his house.”
Smarter than he looks. Still ugly though.
Concur, Capt.
Ugly is, as ugly does..
Whenever I hear about one of these guys and the word, “fled” is involved – I have to admit, it kinda makes me smile.
A question I asked previously(not here but on another board) was whether Malaki was going to allow the US to go after Al Sadr. I suppose that a) Al Sadr was not willing to risk that or b) that Malaki gave him a warning to take a break from the daily grind of Jihad and visit some relatives in the garden spot that is Iran. I hope his “followers” catch a whiff of this dudes duplicity.
Thanks for posting this story Lex. I’ll be back to posting in my UP persona only when the stories are lighter in content
Perhaps the people with the JDAMs can learn the address of Al Sadr’s new house, along with the other targets recently suggested here.
“Hello, Mr. Al Sadr, can you spell ‘B-2′?”
when the going got tough, mookie got going. i’m gonna have to check and see what austin bay has on this. he’s talked quite extensively on al sadr and how grand ayatollah sistani was supposedly working to isolate him.
i’m not sure there’s any way mookie can spin this so he doesn’t look like a craven little weasel.
but then, it’s a given fact that he *is* a craven little weasel so he’s got that working against him already.
Maybe he went to Iran to pick up more Mannlicher 50 cals ?
Why this dude hasn’t whacked is one of the mysteries of the east..
b2
Return is scheduled for early 2009, depending on the result of a major political event in Nov. 2008.
We must collectively be the easiest people to wait out in the history of man, particularly since our “leaders” take such great joy in telegraphing our political weakness.
The brave young men go West….sounds like he went East….
“Either al Sadr will be driven further into extremist mode or he will continue going forward with the political process.”
Does anybody here think really think it’s the later? I didn’t think so. Oh he’ll use the “political process” all right, he’ll use it as a tool, more commonly referred to as stalling tactics. As for the former, how could he be more extreme? Anybody? He’s still a dedicated jihadist, though I doubt he’s going to “give it up” for the cause, you know, go visit those 72 virgins. This bubba & his army should have been exterminated like the rats they are the first time we encountered him.
With Bush’s present political problems, mookie’s actions just don’t add up–perhaps there is a serious effort under way to take him out. If that’s the case, look’s like he has been tipped off. Whatever the case may be, we haven’t heard the last of this cretin.
DaveG–Excellent point, & Lex, you’re right, looks like someone whipped him big time with un ugly stick!
Web Reconnaissance for 02/15/2007…
A short recon of what?ǂ
Web Reconnaissance for 02/15/2007…
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention….