BBC (early Friday): Shia cleric Sadr urges truce in Iraq

[Jack Rabbit]

From the BBC Online
Dated Friday August 6 03:54 GMT (Thursday 8:54 pm PDT)

Shia cleric urges truce in Iraq

Radical Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has called for a truce to be restored after a day of heavy fighting between his militias and US troops in Najaf.
At least seven Iraqis and a US soldier died in Thursday's clashes and a US helicopter was shot down, injuring two.
But Mr Sadr's spokesman said the cleric wanted to renew the truce in the holy city agreed with US troops in June.
That deal came after Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia of mainly Shia Muslims began fighting US forces in April.

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[iconoclastic cat]

1. What is Sadr's deal?

One day he tells his crowd, "Okay, let's be nice and negotiate."
Two days later, "Screw that! Total war!"
In another few days, "Okay, truce!"
Are we not being told the whole story on him, or is he playing games until a real civil war starts?

[thebigidea]

2. you could probably ask those same questions to CENTCOM

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Iraq has many options, almost all of them bad

Show me some one who seriously thinks democracy is on the table, and I'll show you the kind of person W. C. Fields said should not be given an even break.

The Bushies can deny all they want, but the status quo in Iraq is colonial occupation fronted by a puppet regime. That is what they have in mind for Iraq for the indefinite future.

The most viable option for Iraq that offers real sovereignty is probably an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Sistani or some other senior cleric. It will resemble Iran's structure, when a council of twelve clerics decide who is fit to run for parliament. Democracy? No.

Moqtaba al-Sadr is a demagogue. He appeals to Iraq's poor and they are his base. If he came to power, it is doubtful that he could deliver anything to them. Nevertheless, he can't be ignored.

Then there's Zarqawi. The best thing to do with him would be just kill him. He's a force of chaos. He'll remain one as long as he is present, no matter who is formally in power.

[iconoclastic cat]

6. All kidding aside, though,

what does Sadr have to gain from calling a truce? He knows damn well that he holds too much sway over the "poor" (read: 90%) to be anything but a marked man. He absolutely needs to break off (in a civil war, or in a Falluja-type coup) for his own survival. So, why is he doing this little dance?

[Aidoneus]

4. he needs to hunt down..

and kill his body double that makes these opposing statements. It is just confusing things.

[iconoclastic cat]

5. That would make a great movie!

Or an episode of Alias.