Breaking: Al Sadr Offers Surrender For Amnesty, Disavows Own Fighters - Updates Coming In
BAGHDAD - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is offering to pull his fighters off the streets of Basra and other cities if the government halts raids against his followers and releases prisoners held without charge.
The offer is contained in a nine-point statement issued by his headquarters in Najaf.
Al-Sadr is demanding that the government issue a general amnesty and release all detainees. The statement said he also “disavows” anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices.
Update: Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Iraqi state TV in an interview that the decision is “positive and responsive.”
(AP)
Reuters Update:
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered those loyal to him and his Mahdi Army end all presence on the streets in Basra and cities across Iraq, saying that whoever carries arms against Iraqi forces is not one of his followers. The Iraqi government lauded al-Sadr’s orders, saying “This is a positive statement,” according to Reuters.
Just In From Agencie Frog Presse:
Iraq’s radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Sunday ordered his fighters off the streets, paving the way for an end to clashes with security forces that have killed hundreds of people.
“We want the Iraqi people to stop this bloodshed and maintain Iraq’s independence and stability,” Sadr said in a statement with his seal released by his headquarters in the holy city of Najaf.
“For that we have decided to withdraw from the streets of Basra and all other provinces.”
Sadr’s latest call came after six days of fighting between Shiite fighters and Iraqi forces in the southern port city of Basra, Baghdad and several other Shiite regions that have killed at least 270 people.
He said he took the decision as it was his “legitimate responsibility to stop the bleeding of Iraqis, to maintain the reputation of Iraqi people, the unity of land and people, to prepare for its independence and liberation from the dark forces and to quell the fire of division by the occupier and its followers.”
The clashes erupted on Tuesday when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched an assault on Shiite militiamen in neighbourhoods of Basra controlled by the Mahdi Army, the most powerful Shiite militia in the violence-ravaged country.
Sadr’s call came after negotiations in Najaf that began on Saturday between representatives of his movement and the Iraqi authorities.
The Iraqi capital and Basra both remained under curfew on Sunday although there was a lull in the fighting, according to residents of affected neighbourhoods.
Maliki had given a 72-hour deadline to Shiite fighters in Basra to disarm after launching an offensive against them last Tuesday but the call was ignored by the militia.
“Sadr has told us not to surrender our arms except to a state that can throw out the (US) occupation,” Haider al-Jabari of the Sadr movement’s political bureau told AFP on Saturday.
The same day, Maliki vowed to press on with his assault in Basra, saying the militiamen were “worse than Al-Qaeda.”
“Unfortunately we were talking about Al-Qaeda but there are some among us who are worse than Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is killing innocents, Al-Qaeda is destroying establishments and they (Shiite gunmen) also,” he said.
Basra, Iraq’s crucial oil hub, is the focus of a turf war between the Mahdi Army and two rival Shiite factions — the powerful Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and the smaller Fadhila party.
The stand-off there has spread to other Shiite areas of Iraq, including the sprawling Shiite neighbourhood of Baghdad’s Sadr City, the bastion of Sadr loyalists.
Pedestrians and vehicles stayed off the streets of the Iraqi capital for a third straight day of curfew, while Basra was relatively calm, residents said.
They however added that two neighbourhoods of Basra had been bombed during night by US or British jets. The two militaries did not immediately confirm the assaults.
US warplanes had carried out air strikes in the city on Friday and Saturday in which several people were killed, Iraqi and US officials said.
On Sunday, the US military acknowledged that its ground troops had started participating in the Basra assault.
A team of American special forces joined the battle in Basra, combining with Iraqi troops in an operation that killed 22 militants on Saturday, the military said.
The joint operation was in a known “criminal stronghold” in western Basra, a US military statement said.
US and British forces have said they have been giving air support to operations since Tuesday.
British troops have deployed outside their base on the edge of Basra in support of the Iraqi operations, British military spokesman Major Tom Holloway said on Sunday.
“There are no plans for our troops to enter the city. We are providing other forms of support,” he told AFP.
This includes air support and surveillance as well as logistical back-up including refuelling helicopters and supplying ammunition and medical supplies.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Right. Because he won’t pop up several months later and become a giant pain in the ass again. Alternately, he’ll continue studying in Iran and pop up later as an Ayatollah.
I’m of the opinion that it’d be best to finish this now.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:56 amSounds like a Hezbollah or a Hamas proposal to me.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:02 amIt sounds like a “hudna”.
I agree…finish this now.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:04 amthat was a test, the man is fourbe
March 30th, 2008 at 5:07 amDon’t let this lying asshole off that easy. Surrender shall be “unconditional and immediate”, then he needs to turn his ass over to the Iraqi’s for trial.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:09 amlol, he is doing this because he already won, this way Maliki can be seen as the loser and his govt collapses
He can keep fighting but there is no gain for him in a prolonged struggle, making Maliki look bad is a great result
March 30th, 2008 at 5:14 amI will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!
…………..
This is so ridiculous only a diplomat would think this had validity to it.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:15 amHe reminds me so much of Nasrallah, and it isn’t just the headgear.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:20 amHe’s only backing down because the coalition and the ISF have killed and captured close to 1000 of his gang in the last six days. I say fuck sadr, finish of his thugs once and for all.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:29 am@deathstar:
if he was doing so badly then the Iraqi government wouldn’t be so quick to accept, reports already state they were negotitating with him since last night
March 30th, 2008 at 6:03 amThe only way to kill a snake is to cut off its head.
KILL HIM! WTF? Will they ever learn?
March 30th, 2008 at 6:17 amSeems like its Maliki who surrentdered
Aide to Iraq’s Sadr: “No handover of arms”
Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:39am EDT
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Followers of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will not hand over their weapons as part of a move to end a week of fighting in Iraq, a top Sadr aide said.
The aide, Hazem al-Araji, also said that Sadr’s followers had received a guarantee from the government that it would end “random arrests” of Sadr followers.
“The weapons of the resistance will not be delivered to the Iraqi government,” he told journalists at Sadr’s office in the holy city of Najaf after distributing a statement from Sadr calling on followers to stop fighting.
Sadr’s statement also called for the government to halt arrests of his followers and implement an amnesty law to free prisoners.
“We confirm that there were guarantees taken from the Iraqi government to fulfill all the points in this statement. Thus, no more random arrests,” he said.
The Iraqi government launched a crackdown on Sadr followers in the southern city of Basra last week. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered them to surrender and has offered cash in return for heavy and medium weapons handed over by April 8.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Iraq/idUSL30162220080330
March 30th, 2008 at 6:29 amThrow Down your Wepons!!/
Come out with hands up!!..OR We’ll piss on your ROTTING CORPSES AND SEND YOU BACK HO HELL
March 30th, 2008 at 6:29 amhttp://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Iraq/idUSL30162220080330
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Followers of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will not hand over their weapons as part of a move to end a week of fighting in Iraq, a top Sadr aide said.
The aide, Hazem al-Araji, also said that Sadr’s followers had received a guarantee from the government that it would end “random arrests” of Sadr followers.
“The weapons of the resistance will not be delivered to the Iraqi government,” he told journalists at Sadr’s office in the holy city of Najaf after distributing a statement from Sadr calling on followers to stop fighting.
Sadr’s statement also called for the government to halt arrests of his followers and implement an amnesty law to free prisoners.
“We confirm that there were guarantees taken from the Iraqi government to fulfill all the points in this statement. Thus, no more random arrests,” he said.
The Iraqi government launched a crackdown on Sadr followers in the southern city of Basra last week. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered them to surrender and has offered cash in return for heavy and medium weapons handed over by April 8.
Basically the Mahdi’s give up nothing, sounds like Maliki got his tail whupped
March 30th, 2008 at 6:30 am@ CAPT-DAX:
Sorry but reports are they don’t have to give up their weapons
March 30th, 2008 at 6:31 amGood news - but same shit different surrender from Bluto. Its just a mater of time before this shit goes on again.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:44 amI have to wonder if he realizes that he is turning the average citizen of Iraq against himself and his militia. I think he thought the people would be behind him when in fact the people are pissed at him for disrupting the progress their country had made. The Iraqi people are tired of answering to a cleric and having their lives ruled by some twisted view of their religious beliefs. They just want to live and go on about their lives. The fact that this gang has attacked their own people on so many occasions shows the people they are not in this for benefit of the people but only to further their own power hungry trip.
Should we accept the surrender? Nope. We need to show the people they are stronger than a gang and we are going to help them achieve the lives they want.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:12 amA couple positives from the whole affair. 1) Our MTT’s got to see the Iraqi Army in action, so they know what to make them work on….which sounds like they have a lot to do. 2) This whole little event cleaned out a few of the bad elements from the police force…the ones that quit the police yesterday only to see the mahdi army quit today.
This sounds like April 2004 in Fallujah to me. Don’t worry, We’ll get him in November 2008 after the election.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:19 am“i dont want to fight the big bad American troops anymore!”
“and those Iraqis are tougher than i remember them being. we better quit”
March 30th, 2008 at 7:24 am@atx113
We’ll see about how well the JAM is treated. Sadr is trying to save face after losing a big chunk of his fighters. Maliki will say nice things for politics but the ISF will continue clearing and killing in Basra.
Fuck yeah
March 30th, 2008 at 7:33 amJayzuz keyrist…
In plain simple words, Sadr’s proposal comes from Supreme Fubar and no doubt originated in the Iranian city of Qom…where the fat fcker has taken up residence.
WTF do we think we’re doing?
March 30th, 2008 at 7:33 am[[The statement said he also “disavows” anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices.]]
Throwing your boys under a bus eh Sadr? This will make them like you (LOL). Also it gives maliki a free hand to destroy the “splinter groups”.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Whack the mole (Mookie), Whack the mole now. 
March 30th, 2008 at 7:41 amImplement the policies of Black Jack Pershing!
March 30th, 2008 at 8:34 am@DC
Don’t let this lying asshole off that easy. Surrender shall be “unconditional and immediate”, then he needs to turn his ass over to the Iraqi’s for trial.
I agree and if he doesn’t do it FINISH HIM NOW!
March 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am@axt113:
Frankly, I could care less what the libistan press have to say. I’m more intertested in hearing what the troops on the ground have to say.
So, this is my summation:
Sadr always quits after enough of his fighters die. It’s all about Sadr buying more time; and more weapons to try again another day. In the meantime, the raids against Sadr and his militia go on unabated.
Al-Maliki is doing what he can to stop Sadr. Naturally he’s going to negotiate with him; since he’s also a Shia.
But so long as Maliki remains in power, he wins. It’s that power that Sadr and Iran craves, that they cannot have so long as Maliki remains Prime Minister and US forces remain on the ground to back him up.
And any raid, against the Sadr militia that goes on is another “fuck you Sadr” point that Maliki is able to make to Sadr and to his Iranian puppetmasters.
In short, Sadr’s TET offensive has failed.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:42 amHudna time!
Add one US Marine sniper, subtract one raghead spunkmonkey.
That’s the equation.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:40 pmOMG, this has been the funniest media run I’ve seen in years. Keep in mind, you can almost always tell the truth by assuming the opposite if the media party-line:
1–Maliki goes to Basra to lead offensive against Shia “criminals”–Media spin–”Maliki is losing control.”
2–Shia criminals stand and fight in the streets, Iraqi forces “cling” with them –Media spin–”Iraqi army cannot defeat Mahdi army, we wasted all our time and $$ training them.”
3–US airpower and Special Forces very coincidentally proceed to annihilate substantial groupings of Shia criminals fighting the “clinging” Iraqi forces, man whatta lucky recovery! Media spin–”US had to rescue Iraqi army again from their own incompetence.”
4 (the best!)–AlSadr publicly abandons his decimated forces, the living gunmen leave the streets–Media spin (from ABC News at 6:35)–”Pressure is on Maliki to respond to AlSadr’s unlateral gesture of statesmanship.”
I almost choked on my baked potato!
FWIW, when was the last time a PM of any country took a step like Maliki did, to go down to the frontlines of a warzone for 4 days running? Arab leaders are notorious for “leading from the rear,” I say you gotta give the man some credit for this.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:23 pm[[OMG, this has been the funniest media run I’ve seen in years. Keep in mind, you can almost always tell the truth by assuming the opposite if the media party-line:]]
I couldnt agree more, its amazing how the MSM fucked up reporting al sadrs humiliation.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:52 pmVICTORY… Iraqi Forces Defeat al-Sadr –Rally in Baghdad!:
March 30th, 2008 at 7:17 pmhttp://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/03/victory-iraqi-forces-defeat-al-sadr.html
kill’em now
March 31st, 2008 at 1:18 am