Muqtada al-Sadr says he will disarm his militia

[Subversive Pessimist]

Al-Sadr accepts peace plan (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=2100&e=&u=/ap/20040818/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq)

NAJAF, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan Wednesday to end fighting in Najaf that would disarm his militiamen and remove them from a holy shrine where they are hiding out, according to an al-Sadr spokesman. However, al-Sadr wanted to negotiate how the deal would be implemented.

The cease-fire deal was presented to al-Sadr's aides in Najaf on Tuesday by an eight-person delegation sent by the Iraqi National Conference, meeting in Baghdad. Al-Sadr himself declined to meet with the mediators. The proposal demanded the cleric's militia drop its arms, withdraw from the shrine and transform itself into a political party in exchange for amnesty.


Sheik Hassan al-Athari, an official at al-Sadr's office in Baghdad, said the cleric had agreed to the plan but wanted the delegation to return to Najaf to negotiate how it would be implemented and to ensure his militants would not be arrested. He said al-Sadr had other, more minor conditions, but did not elaborate.

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I just feel disgusted by this. The US and the quisling government would never have attacked the mosque, and now they are giving up their ace. I have a suspicision that Al-Sadr has received some dollars.

What do you think?

[seen_che]

I think you shold respect other peoples religions exept if it is a "Kill the inosent rape the virgins" religion :S....Remember when the REALLY old Buddha status got destroid :(

[Subversive Pessimist]

What does that have to do with anything? Sorry, don't mean to be harsh, but I mean, when I said "what do you think", I meant what do you think of the planned retreat, which is basically what the topic is about. :)

[Bolshevist]

al-Sadr would lose the battle anyways. He is just sparing the lives of men, I really don't think he is a traitor for being compassionate with his men.

[Subversive Pessimist]

They would lose the battle in short-term, but would win in long-term.

Doing what he does now gives a bad signal. If they would have invaded the mosque, 21 million Iraqis would fight against the Americans. It is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Najaf is a holy city. It is in my opinion, especially bad when he promised that he would fight to the last drop of blood, and now he is fleeing. If he would not flee, but actually stay there, like he promised, it would be a strong signal to the other armed Iraqis that they should never give up.

[duk]

well first i dont think that hes a treator. i have some information that sadr will disarm his army if the USA will go out from NAJAF. anyway SADR cant fight alone. he asked the help from all muslim leaders in iraq but noone helped him. i think SISTANI is the treator , hes relaxing in london talking on the phone with mister blair . but what i hate in sadr that 1 day he ask his army to fight and 1 day he talks about peace...

[Severian]

Traitor to what, exactly? Certainly not the working class, since he never had anything to do with it. And before denouncing anyone for (potentially, maybe) laying down their arms, you might consider whether armed action is the best possible method of struggle in a given situation.

Sadr tends to vacillate back and forth a lot, which is to be expected considering his political and class nature. On this latest statement, though, it's not a capitulation and certainly hasn't ended the fighting. I wouldn't place too much weight on any bit of news about these negotiations since 1. the news accounts tend to contradict each other a lot - yesterday it was reported that the delegation was completely rebuffed - and 2. these delegations have no power to negotiate for the U.S. or even Allawi so it's pretty much a show anyway.

Here's an agence France-Presse story which actually quotes some of the Sadrist statement that other articles are paraphrasing. (http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=24780)

[Solo]

FIGHT TIL THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guerrilla22]

It will be interesting to see what al-Sadr actually does, I've said this before what someone says in international politics, isn't necessisarily what that someone does. Maybe al-Sadr is just buying a little breather to regroup, or maybe he will actually surrender. Either way, the US can't touch him, which is exactly what he wants.

[h&s]

Can't you see that this is just part of a larger plan?
The deal he has just lets him out of the Imam Ali shrine, in return for him disbanding his militia. He needs to do this as the Iraqi army has no qualms about entering the Mosque, so if he stays he's fucked. The deal lets him, and all of his fighters out of Najaf, as long as they give up their weapons. Weapons are easy to get hold of in Iraq, so they will just get more and start again elsewhere.
Anyway, the guy is a traitor as he is using religion to control people to gain personal power.