From AP:
NAJAF, Iraq -- Supporters of an anti-American cleric rioted in four Iraqi cities Sunday, killing eight U.S. troops and one Salvadoran soldier in the worst unrest since the spasm of looting and arson immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein.The U.S. military on Sunday reported two Marines were killed in a separate "enemy action" in Anbar province, raising the toll of American service members killed in Iraq to at least 610.
The rioters were supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. They were angry over Saturday's arrest on murder charges of one of al-Sadr's aides, Mustafa al-Yacoubi, and the closure of a pro-al-Sadr newspaper.
Near the holy city of Najaf, a gunbattle at a Spanish garrison killed at least 22 people, including two coalition soldiers -- an American and a Salvadoran.
Fighting in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City killed seven U.S. soldiers and wounded at least 24, the U.S. military said in a written statement.
A resident said two Humvees were seen burning in the neighborhood, and that some American soldiers had taken refuge in a building. The report could not be independently confirmed, and it was unclear whether the soldiers involved were those who died.
A column of American tanks was seen moving through the center of Baghdad Sunday evening, possibly headed toward the fighting.
The military said the fighting erupted after members of a militia loyal to radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took control of police stations and government buildings in the neighborhood.
Protesters clashed with Italian and British forces in other cities in a broad, violent challenge to the U.S.-led coalition, raising questions about its ability to stabilize Iraq ahead of a scheduled June 30 handover of power to Iraqis.
Sadr & Medhi=Hamas & Hezbollah=Iran & Syria.The Cult of Death has begun their "Spring Offensive" in Iraq. Many of those Shia/Medhi militias are Iranian Republican Guards and there is little doubt that the Sunni/Fullujah butchers are Syrian. Time to roll out the Apaches and M1A1s in the target rich environs of Fallujah and Sadr City. Go Marines.
are you in denial?
look at the people doing this its iraqi's
Joseph,
Don't be so naive. It's not unreasonable to assume an Iranian connection to Sadr. Where did his militia get all their weapons? Who trained them to march and get into military formation?
Take a close look at a picture of Sadr. Doesn't he strike you as having a malign presence? He certainly looks that way to me. He has that same dark aura that Ayatolla Khomeini had. He had no problems sending Iranian teen age conscripts armed with Korans across Iraqui minefields.
You seem to be of the school that ascribes all evil intentions to the West, spec. the US and that sees all 'Third World' people as innocent victims. Are you really that naive?
What kind of cleric, 'man of God', incites his congregation to active violence and terrorism? What kind of religion is this? If you lived there you would be targeted right away for being different and having your own opinions.
I say, take him into custody and ship him to Guantanamo Bay.
Mike H
Joseph:
I refer back to my post of last week and ask you to respond why the Left yells at the US for doing little to help the downtrodden, then when the downtrodden are assisted we are Imperialists? The majority of Iraqis polled are glad we are there and are glad Saddam is gone and worry about Jihadists.
In addition, could you please answer as to why you say religion causes conflicts when the most heinous rulers (Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot) were either Atheists or Agnostics. Perhaps Freud was right in stating that Atheists, unlike Agnostics might truly be angry with the God they do not believe. Perhaps most telling might be St. Paul's quote in the early Christian Church, "By the struggle you have known him (God)"
In the past 12 years the US has assisted the Somalis from starvation by warlords, prevented genocide in Bosnia and Iraq and has the Left thanked the US. No, the same old slogans fill the air. Could you please explain that to me Joseph?
Exactly my thoughts - What kind of "man of God?" Any thinking person realizes that these are thungs disguised as "men of God." They have organized militias to expand their own little fiefdoms, hoping to make them national, or even internation in the form of the Califate. The are not "men of God," they are just evil men using religion as their tool.