Sadr says he'll dissolve militia if U.S. withdraws from Iraq

Saturday 09th August, 06:35 AM JST

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skipthesong at 03:37 PM JST - 9th August

sushi: I was asking a question as to what happens to those fighters after the fact - do they just lay low. Not anything at all for the US to be involved with. Nothing like. Just that is a large force of well armed people. Was just curioius.
smithinjapan at 03:39 PM JST - 9th August

Undecided: You'll notice, even in your cut and paste, that I said '...UP TO 100 years...', I never said that he claims the US would be there for the full 100.
SushiSake3 at 04:35 PM JST - 9th August

JoeBigs - "this putz will make a move to seize control of the government."

His party already has 10% of the seats in parliament.
JoeBigs at 06:02 PM JST - 9th August

His party already has 10% of the seats in parliament.

But 10% in parliament is better than 100% via a coup.
Sarge at 07:44 PM JST - 9th August

"Radical Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr"

I'll bet he disagrees with being labeled "radical."
Triumvere at 09:39 PM JST - 9th August

Sadr is toast. Maliki will break him.
Sarge at 09:48 PM JST - 9th August

"Sadr is toast"

Heck, Sadr should be prime minister of Iraq! After all, he's so popular with the Iraqis! You would think he would be gratefl to the U.S. for deposing his No.1 enemy, that Sunni scumbag Saddam...
Nippon5 at 10:12 PM JST - 9th August

Q: Why do so many Americans seem to think it's their "right" to stick their noses into other countries' affairs??

Q: Why do so many non-Americans seem to think it's their "right" to stick their noses into Americas affairs??
Wolfpack at 11:38 PM JST - 9th August

This is a nice sentiment but I wouldn't trust Sadr to keep his word about anything. However, such overtures are concrete evidence that the brilliant surge strategy of Bush and Petreus continues to pay dividends. The US and Maliki are better off dealing with Sadr from a position of strength instead of weakness as the political Left prefers. The tide was turned when it appeared that all was certain to be lost. It is startling how unpredictable war can be. It's a shame that Obama was ready to give up before the war was over. Ironically, the US the option to withdrawl on Obama's schedule - but on our terms and not those of the Sadr, Iran, and Al Qaeda.
adaydream at 11:55 PM JST - 9th August

Another outstanding reason to bring the troops home. < :-)
rjd_jr at 12:25 AM JST - 10th August

Good question SushiSake, why DO so many Americans think they have a right to stick their noses in other countrie's business, when these very same people then get upset when people of other countrie's dare criticize American policies, America, or any combination thereof. Pure hypocrisy.

At any rate, I wish some would stop giving Bush and company any ounce of credit for the "brilliant surge" strategy. Going back to a concept first proposed by a now retired general (and whose name was drug through mud for it), in order to cover up and correct your monumentally catastrophic screw ups and misjudgements, is hardly "brilliant."
undecidedbout08 at 12:38 AM JST - 10th August

Saddam gone, Mookie defanged. Guess that leaves Ahmadhinejhad all alone as the international Left's big Sugar Daddy.
yabits at 01:37 AM JST - 10th August

Q: Why do so many Americans seem to think it's their "right" to stick their noses into other countries' affairs??

Because a lot of Americans ultimately hate genuine freedom.

Respecting the freedom of others means respecting their right to tell us to buzz off. Especially when we richly deserve it. (But look at the attitudes of American policy-makers over the years towards countries that have declared themselves to be "non-aligned.")

The US attitude over the decades has been to consider much of the rest of the planet as "America's backyard." Well, I own a home with a backyard, and its limit stops at my property line. Likewise, what so many Amercans call their backyard is in reality someone else's backyard. That fact does nothing to curtail American hubris, as with Iraq.
Sarge at 04:25 AM JST - 10th August

"Another outstanding reason to bring the troops home"

Incredibly, adaydream actually believes what Sadr says.
Betzee at 05:00 AM JST - 10th August

At any rate, I wish some would stop giving Bush and company any ounce of credit for the "brilliant surge" strategy. Going back to a concept first proposed by a now retired general (and whose name was drug through mud for it), in order to cover up and correct your monumentally catastrophic screw ups and misjudgements, is hardly "brilliant."

Good point. Morever, as long as the USA remains the dominant player in the country, doling out money to groups like the Sunni Awakening Councils we can get them to work with us. But there's no indication they will work with each other. Case in point: the elected Green Zone govt just took off for an extended summer vacation after failing to agree on how the provincial elections which would increase Sunni representation would be carried out. Originally scheduled for October, a new date has not been set.

Bottom line: As long as the USA continues to hang around, at great expense since the Iraqi oil revenues are not being pumped into reconstruction as we were assured they would be back in 2003, they have no incentive to work together. In short, our presence is delaying, not facilitating, agreement between representatives of the various Iraqi groups. Therefore, we should instead set a near-term date for US withdrawal as an incentive for them to get down to business.