Al-Sadr signals end to Shia uprising

[mom cat]

Al-Sadr signals end to Shia uprising
Wednesday 16 June 2004, 19:41 Makka Time, 16:41 GMT

Al-Sadr has given conditional support to the interim government


Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr asked his fighters to cease their uprising on Wednesday in what may mark the end of a 10-week revolt against US-led forces that once engulfed the southern part of the country.


With the formal end of US-led occupation just two weeks away, al-Sadr issued a statement from his base in Najaf calling on his Mahdi Army to hold to the terms of a ceasefire.

"Each of the individuals of the Mahdi Army, the loyalists who made sacrifices...should return to their governorates to do their duty," the statement said.

The call came a day after President George Bush said the United States would not oppose a political role for al-Sadr, only weeks after branding him an ''anti-democratic thug''.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DB1B5045-D8B4-44B0-845A-5FF5F84F87D2.htm

[Lucky Luciano]

1. I was about to ask, "How much did they pay Al-Sadr?"

But then, I saw:

The call came a day after President George Bush said the United States would not oppose a political role for al-Sadr, only weeks after branding him an ''anti-democratic thug.''

[AndyTiedye]

9. I thought that being an anti-democratic thug was a job requirement.

> The call came a day after President George Bush said the United States
> would not oppose a political role for al-Sadr, only weeks after
> branding him an ''anti-democratic thug.''

[Geo55]

2. United States would not oppose a political role for al-Sadr

Yup , cut 'em a piece of the power pie...everythings cool.

[Eye and Monkey]

3. Sounds like an interesting precedent being set. Or perhaps -

another manifestation of an ongoing trend.

[Lucky Luciano]

4. Sounds a lot like "Appeasement" to me -

The Reich Wing always complains about those who "Appease." Knuckleheads.

[Geo55]

6. Appeasement

BushCo desparatly needs to put out fires before "the hand-over"
A temporary lollipop keeps the kids quite....we'll see if it's a big enough lollipop....later

[hadrons]

5. flip-flop alert!!! flip-flop alert!!! flip-flop alert!!! flip-flop alert!!

George Bush said the United States would not oppose a political role for al-Sadr, only weeks after branding him an ''anti-democratic thug''.

[jono]

7. .

[gulliver]

8. Bush blinked on Falluja and al-Sadr.

I don't see how this shows the insurgents that what they are doing isn't working. Falluja raises hell; we pull out and leave people in charge who won't do anything about former Saddam loyalists. Al-Sadr starts a Shia uprising, we call him a thug, but we won't complain about him participating in government.

Al-Sadr's a hero now.

Good thing for the insurgents that Bush is in an election year. Rove needs the fighting to end. Bush will give the insurgents what they want if it shuts them up for a few months.