Police kidnapped by Sadr's militia

[wicket]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1275672,00.html

The radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's militia has kidnapped 18 Iraqi police officers, apparently to force authorities to release detained militants, police said yesterday.
The kidnappings took place as Mr Sadr's aides accused authorities of trying to arrest officials in the cleric's Mahdi army. The new tensions appear to threaten a fragile ceasefire.

A Najaf police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants had snatched 18 police officers and two police cars, hoping to get some of their comrades out of jail. Najaf's governor, Adnan al-Zurufi, confirmed that a number of officers had been kidnapped. Najaf police were awaiting orders from local officials, who did not want to escalate the situation, the official said. An interior ministry spokesman in Baghdad could not confirm the report.

Ahmed al-Shaibany, a spokesman for Mr Sadr, denied that any officers had been locked up.

[pocket]

1. well this is cerainly going to help him

become a mainstream politician

[saigon68]

2. "THE MAYOR OF BAGHDAD" (allawi) will straighten this out soon

When pigs FLY

[Aidoneus]

3. well..

I don't know if you meant that ironically, but that's pretty much what the rest of the stable of jackals hiding around the crusaders' tanks did & do. If only he started blowing up school busses, weddings, markets, random houses, and hired the best advertising firms in the world to play spin control, he'd fit in just fine. BUT INSTEAD, he takes the virtuous and difficult route, which naturally just wins enemies and trouble.

[wicket]

4. kick

:kick: