This war is getting weirder and weirder. And, I think we have already lost it though none of the generals want to admit it.
Today, from the New York Times:
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 27 — American forces and guerrillas loyal to the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr agreed today to pull back from the holy Shiite city of Najaf, in a deal that signaled the end of a seven-week-old stand-off that has left hundreds of Iraqis dead.
The agreement, hammered out between Mr. Sadr and Iraqi leaders and approved by the Americans, calls for the Mahdi Army, whose fighters have held the city since April 5, to put away their guns and go home, and for the American forces to pull most of their forces out of the city. Under the agreement, the Americans can maintain a handful of posts inside the city and may still run patrols through the city center.
The deal also applies to the nearby city of Kufa, the site of Mr. Sadr's mosque.
In a major concession to Mr. Sadr, the Americans and Iraqi officials promised to suspend the arrest warrant issued against him for his suspected involvement in the murder of a rival cleric in April 2003. Since Mr. Sadr called on his forces to rise up last month, the Americans have said repeatedly said that they intended to "kill or capture" Mr. Sadr.
In a news conference today, the Americans and the Iraqis said Mr. Sadr's fate was open to negotiation. Some Shiite leaders said plans were in the works to offer Mr. Sadr or people around him positions in the new government, scheduled to take over when the Americans transfer sovereignty here on June 30.
Plans are in the works to offer Mr. Sadr or people around him positions in the new government? I thought we said we were going to either arrest him for murder, or kill him. Isn't that why the Marines have been dying and becomig wounded in that stinking town?
What the hell is going on? Did we just give up? Did we just now accept another defeat? Are we in fact already defeated and only the generals and George Bush don't know it?
Today, from the New York Times:
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 27 — American forces and guerrillas loyal to the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr agreed today to pull back from the holy Shiite city of Najaf, in a deal that signaled the end of a seven-week-old stand-off that has left hundreds of Iraqis dead.
The agreement, hammered out between Mr. Sadr and Iraqi leaders and approved by the Americans, calls for the Mahdi Army, whose fighters have held the city since April 5, to put away their guns and go home, and for the American forces to pull most of their forces out of the city. Under the agreement, the Americans can maintain a handful of posts inside the city and may still run patrols through the city center.
The deal also applies to the nearby city of Kufa, the site of Mr. Sadr's mosque.
In a major concession to Mr. Sadr, the Americans and Iraqi officials promised to suspend the arrest warrant issued against him for his suspected involvement in the murder of a rival cleric in April 2003. Since Mr. Sadr called on his forces to rise up last month, the Americans have said repeatedly said that they intended to "kill or capture" Mr. Sadr.
In a news conference today, the Americans and the Iraqis said Mr. Sadr's fate was open to negotiation. Some Shiite leaders said plans were in the works to offer Mr. Sadr or people around him positions in the new government, scheduled to take over when the Americans transfer sovereignty here on June 30.
Plans are in the works to offer Mr. Sadr or people around him positions in the new government? I thought we said we were going to either arrest him for murder, or kill him. Isn't that why the Marines have been dying and becomig wounded in that stinking town?
What the hell is going on? Did we just give up? Did we just now accept another defeat? Are we in fact already defeated and only the generals and George Bush don't know it?
posted by Robert | 2:12 PM
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