Iraq’s Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Urges U.S. Withdrawal and End to Sectarian Clashes

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Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr used his first public address this year to call for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Iraq and urge the country's warring Shiite and Sunni Muslims to cease fighting... Al-Sadr, speaking today at a mosque in the Iraqi town of Kufa, underlined “our demand for the withdrawal” of occupying forces and said he wanted reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites...
Read the story HERE

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I'd have to say al-Sadr is a dead man walking...

AubreyJ.........

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Iraqi Special Operations Forces kill insurgent commander during afternoon raid in Basrah

Iraqi Special Operation Forces and Coalition Forces killed Wisam Abd Adbul, also known as Wisam Abu Qadir, [more info HERE] the suspected commander of the militia group Jaysh al-Madhi (JAM) in Basrah and his bodyguard while attempting to detain him on May 25th.

ISOF and Coalition Forces were manning a vehicle checkpoint when the targeted individual’s vehicle approached the checkpoint. Despite signals to pull over, the targeted subject failed to do so. The ISOF fired warning rounds to disable the vehicle, but the vehicle sped forward for another 800 meters. Three individuals then exited the vehicle and aimed weapons at ISOF and Coalition Forces. The ISOF took appropriate self-defense measures, engaging two of the insurgents and killing them.

The third individual, the vehicle driver, ran away. Both during and after the incident, ISOF and Coalition Forces came under attack from small-arms fire; rocket propelled grenades, and improvised explosive devices (IED).

Qadir has a long history of violence in the region. He managed operations to murder and intimidate local Iraqis and is credited with ordering attacks on U.S. and Coalition Forces.

He also instructed new recruits on terrorist methods as well as the construction and detonation of IEDS.

Additionally, Qadir was allegedly involved in weapons trafficking, theft, the procurement of rocket propelled grenades, IEDs, and conventional explosives from terrorists in Iran.

Iraqi forces conducted the operation with Coalition Forces acting as advisors. No Iraqi or Coalition Forces were injured during this operation.

(Taken from press release #20070525-06 by Multi-National Corps - Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory)