Apparently Al-Sadr realized he weren't going to achieve the desired result from killing him. But note that he won his release, at least according to this, because he opposes administration policies. From Reuters:
DUBAI (Reuters) - U.S. journalist Micah Garen was on Sunday freed by an Iraqi group who had held him hostage in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya."I am very grateful to everyone who worked to protect me and guarantee my release and I thank my friends in Nassiriya and my family and fiance who spent three months with me in Nassiriya," Garen told Arab satellite television Al Jazeera by telephone.
He was speaking from the Nassiriya office of rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
"Today he was brought to the office of Sheikh Sadr in Nassiriya and he is now there. We have called the human rights body in Nassiriya to come and receive him," Aws al-Khafaji, an aide to Sadr, told Al Jazeera.
Garen, of New York-based company Four Corners Media, said he was seized while taking pictures with a small camera at a market in Nassiriya.
"People misunderstood what I was taking pictures of. There was a misunderstanding," he said without elaborating. His comments were translated into Arabic by the channel.
A group calling itself the Secret Action Group of the Mehdi Army said in an Internet statement on Friday it was holding a U.S. journalist hostage and would release him on Saturday because he was opposed to U.S. administration policies.
U.S. journalist Micah Garen was freed. I wondered when I'd heard this on TV, did he renounce his faith (Christian or Jew), or his unfaith (atheism)? I discerned he worked a "deal". This is no surprise.
Its time to read "Revelations".
Mr Garen, a "liberal" journalist, was most probably already highly susceptible to the "Stockholm Syndrome". Following some "arrangement", the terrorists were able to release him - once fully confident that his psyche has been adequately dhimmified and that he'll subsequently remain their "habibi", in print and on the airwaves.
Meanwhile, up and down, from side to side, to and fro it goes, this siege of the Ayatollah Muqtada el-Sadr in the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Shi’ite southern Iraq. On the heels of an announcement it’s over, comes one saying that it’s not, with more of the same an hour later: NO hard News this morning.
Tactically, utilizing something similar to the Russian FSB’s “Nord-Ost” Gas is a sound tip for satisfactorily concluding this stalemate in Najaf, provided that it knocks the Sadrists out as rapidly as it did the Chechens in the Moscow theatre then: in a flash - before any of the militant Jihadis could detonate the plastique-bombs wired round their bodies.
Reports tell of the Golden Dome of the Shrine of Ali, the Mausoleum and the Grand Mosque’s walls being perfidiously rigged with explosives by el-Sadr, seeking to blame the destruction of the Holy Site on the Americans, even as he and his thugs are “martyred” by them.
Iraq’s National Interim Government’s desperate to cut some deal with the young Ayatollah, to avoid razing the Mosque; it’s got a chance of pulling the fat out of the fire till the last instant - but that moment, at this juncture, CANNOT be delayed for more than another week or so, tops.
If their blandishments don’t work, if the Nord-Ost Gas isn’t technically feasible, if the Shrine has to be, finally, sadly, doomed - however this business is sliced - then ALL available contingencies will need to be examined. Artillery shelling? Armoured assault? Bombing from the air?
Once it’s duly deemed that, sorry, the Shrine’s a GONER, there’s NO WAY LEFT to remove el-Sadr except by force de main, demolishing the edifice in the process, the means by which this is conducted MUST be chosen with a keen view towards their Propaganda Value.
There’s a POSITIVE role for atomic weapons in the badly mistitled “War on Terror”. The late Dr Edward Teller descried a comparatively safe “window of opportunity”, to rid the Earth of Communism, during the period 1945 to 1949, while America held a monopoly of the A-Bomb.
There could well be such a historic “window”, in this dire conflict, at THIS time: prior to the Islamo-fascists getting their feverish hooks on nukes - which they sorely crave and are avidly PURSUING, as an item of utmost priority in their crazed ambitions.
In today’s prevailing geostrategic circumstances, US warheads no longer require to be kept exclusively for deterrence, but can, rationally, re-assume their premium role as DEFENSIVE - but eminently USEABLE - munitions in the armoury. At this stage, logically, America’s nuclear arms are freed up, to be applied in this indefinite (but relatively SHORT) interstice as dramatic Demonstrations and harsh Examples - spectacularly persuasive Trend-Reversers.
Once things came down to blunt Nuclear Deterrence, “Mutual Assured Destruction”, the USSR turned out, at least, not to’ve been SO crazy as to launch its ICBMs. For decades, the “Balance of Terror” was PRESERVED - a type of Peace - despite a lengthy era of stratospheric tensions.
But would a Jihadi zealot grasp the core idea of “M.A.D.”? - Probably not, smirking: “Bring it on!” Deterrence CANNOT POSSIBLY WORK against a mortal enemy who Loves Death (as they do) - and contemporaneously, the planet swarms with millions of militant, Islamist fanatics.
Without much question, during the course of this War (if it’s going to be as lengthy as the Cold War, as projected in several quarters), tragically, nukes WILL ultimately be employed, one way or another - PARTICULARLY if the Confrontation’s as painfully protracted as they assess.
Our unfortunate, rare and selective, early, controlled, pre-emptive introduction of atomic weapons - thus establishing and retaining the Nuclear Initiative - could, in the bitter end, humanely wind up SPARING the lives of billions (Moslems and “Infidels”), down the line.
Adroitly unleashing nukes - plus the categorical message to Islamo-fascists everywhere, explicit in their fused bursts - would further serve as a reliable, practical “Field-Test” of whether, indeed, the creation of Deterrence in this case can truly, eventually, be done, or not. Alternately, if it IS, after all, impossible, then thermo-nukes can definitely (literally) save the West’s bacon via incrementally aborting the Jihadis’ advances, stopping them dead in their tracks….
The potential to do so should NOT be shut out, on any grounds. Nuclear armaments ought NOT be excluded from the Western arsenal in this murderous “War on Terror”, but instead, exploited for their unique features (depending on the individual demands of targets in prospect).
In the Iraq theatre, Najaf could constitute a fitting Candidate for such a Demonstration Blast, if the fate of el-Sadr and his uprising aren’t decided - in favour of the Interim Govt - expeditiously. If not, then it’s liable that there’ll be an epidemic of rebellions in Iraq - specially in the “Sunni Triangle” (infested with rump-Saddamists, political militias, criminal gangs and Iraqi and foreign “holy warrior” squads). This zone contains MORE black-spots, equally worthy of being atomic bulls-eyes for an Object Lesson, an Example, as Najaf: Faluja, Ramadi, Samara, inter alia….
(Why, there’s now even a recent “Directional Device”, described as akin to the “Claymore” mine of Vietnam-days: it goes off to one side, not effecting the other - theoretically, it’d be suitable, therefore, for taking out Sadr City, in Bagdad, without shaking the rest of the capital.)
Executioners of Jihad may soon kill western citizens in a more significant manner, but there is hope for the majority of the Muslim non-extremists. In this recent speech, President Bush highlighted the different stages of democratic progress identifiable in Muslim countries or countries with significant Muslim populations such as; Turkey, Indonesia, Senegal, Albania, Niger Sierra Leone, India, South Africa, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Malaysia also had recent changes.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/11/20031106-2.html
Citizens of Muslim lands expect nothing less then representational government. Global trade, commerce, & standard of living will improve if Arab nations evolve to the following standards:
Limited Government Power
Rule of Law
Equal Justice
Respect for Women
Freedom of Speech
Religious Tolerance
Private Property
Muslim nations do not need Nuclear Weapons. Libya made a wise choice, but Iran is pushing Syria, Turkey, and Azerbaijan toward altering strategic military relationships with Israel & the US.
http://debka.com/article.php?aid=893
We all sincerely expect Iran to come around and see why they are going down the wrong path. Look to Libya & the Arab nations mentioned above, for examples of progress. Iran, it is not such a bad thing to have Peace with the USA & certainly will be better for your economy.
Islam, similar to other religions with significant membership, must demonstrate a responsible & forward vision, to the world, of local examples of progress in ethics & morality. We must all evolve. Tolerance of others is vital. Secular advancements in science & finance are reaching around the globe, & much of it liberates the hardship of daily toil. Many, across the globe, recently experience the benefits of a cell phone, laptop computer, & Internet. Muslim extremists must not deny the societies of invention, their means to craft, when hundreds of millions of Muslims also utilize the inventions every day.
Jihad extremists wish to enlighten the rest of us (yet to be converted), but why don’t they just compare the ethics & morality in their holy documents & laws with the holy documents & laws of other societies, rather then impose their will on non Muslim societies. Religions are bread by local culture & must teach only values. No need for one religion to dominate the planet.
"But would a Jihadi zealot grasp the core idea of “M.A.D.”? - Probably not, smirking: “Bring it on!” Deterrence CANNOT POSSIBLY WORK against a mortal enemy who Loves Death (as they do) - and contemporaneously, the planet swarms with millions of militant, Islamist fanatics."
Yes, they do grasp the core idea of M.A.D. No, it would not be a deterrence for the reasons you have cited.
"Our unfortunate, rare and selective, early, controlled, pre-emptive introduction of atomic weapons - thus establishing and retaining the Nuclear Initiative - could, in the bitter end, humanely wind up SPARING the lives of billions (Moslems and “Infidels”), down the line."
It won't happen simply to get Al-Sadr. Either he will be starved out; disappear in the night; or become part of a deal.
I expect Al-Sadr will be another Arafat down the line. Someday, you may even see him with a shirt and tie being interviewed on the Sunday Morning shows in the US.
"He may be an S.O.B., but he is our S.O.B." goes the neocon thinking. After all, Saddam and his predecesor were both CIA operatives at one point.
Besides, the clean-up after a Nuclear explosion in the area will be less than economically optimal. That would drive up world market prices for crude and ... you get the picture.
Release of Micah Garen is another piece of Fatboy
Sadr's propaganda to show how 'holy' he is compared to evil Infidels...Don't know who is buying this : I'm not!
If al-Sadr really has wired the mosque to explode, it presents a golden opportunity to inflict a major psychological defeat on the whole Jihadi movement. If he could be spooked into pushing the button, and video evidence is subsequently produced to prove beyond doubt that it was Muslims rather than Infidels who destroyed the mosque, Jihadis would immediately lose a lot of credibility in the eyes of their 'moderate' counterparts. It would be a fitting reversal of 9/11, entirely self-inflicted.
Citizens of Muslim lands expect nothing less then representational government. Global trade, commerce, & standard of living will improve if Arab nations evolve to the following standards:
Limited Government Power
(world caliphate)
Rule of Law
(sharia)
Equal Justice
(for muslims only)
Respect for Women
(as property)
Freedom of Speech
(unless...)
Religious Tolerance
(pay tax)
Private Property
(mosques)
Oh yeah!
I read my Mr. HGII’s write up and was shocked by what he wrote; because you cannot beat a rag-tag army with a few guns and rifles …nuke them… LOL, now we know why America is really there. Nuke all who oppose them and take all the oil you need.
From what you wrote, it seems to me that the Iraqis really were MUCH better off under Saddam, he may have killed thousands ….but not 10’s of millions as you suggest… who’s the bully now, applying the “might is right principle”, no Mr. HGII this is a write-up of frustration and desperation and doesn’t deserve any merit.
And anyway, if you nuked innocents, do you really think it will all end there…bullies in the end always get what they dish out.
Against the opinion of the majority of the world, you stepped in there, now again against their opinion you can just leave…let them sort it out themselves…just like the Iran-Iran war….they stopped when they could fight no more.
For once, don’t worry about your “high moral ground” and “we can’t leave them because we started this”…..you can …just go!
Good Morning Naseem!
If any innocents are nuked in muslim countries, you may thank the religous leadership of those countries for bringing it upon them.
And you are so right! Bullies always get what they dish out. Hitler did, Saddam did, the mullahs of Iran are coming up for theirs.
Sorry, Kerry won't be elected. And if he is (God what a Mistake), in the long run it still won't serve your needs.
Naseem,
I really don't think you have understood what HGII was getting at, he was talking of the relative loss of life a nuclear war could save in the long run. This war on terror looks set to be long and protracted, and maybe if we nuke a few of the more deserving muslim countries, I'm sure the rest of the worlds islamic tyrants will be, at the ,very least, deterred.
Muslims are our enemy (not that everyone in our societies will accept that) and they have proven on many occassions they are willing to give their lives as martyrs to cause the deaths of thousands of westerners, we have a right to be free from this threat, we don't want your "cult" threatening our way of life anymore, and if nuking your religiously insane populations (exept for the turks :- they're actually part of the 21st century you see) is the only way to end it all, then in my view the lives of a few million muslims is a small price to pay (most muslims seem to have no respect or value for the lives of other muslims let alone westerners, so I don't see why I should have to).
Naseem,
There's an old american saying:
"You can't make an omlet without breaking a few eggs (in this case rotten ones)!!!"
Further to what HGII was saying about Fatboys muppet squad in the shrine (which the papers have reported he's "protecting", quite a laughable assessment of the situation really seen as we would have gone anywhere near the dust little hell-hole if not for the fat twat using it as his own personal rats nest), I have also reverted my memory back to the seige of the theatre in Moscow, in 2002, which was hi-jacked by chechen terrorists. When the russians finally stormed the place they used the opium based nord ost(sp?) to knock them out, so the hostages could be rescued (comically days later one of the hostages was talking of suing the Russian army for having opiates forced upon him/her; Ungrateful Bastard!!!The press of cause loved this, any opportunity to take the attention away from islam being once again publicly bashed.
Anyway my point is : What is stopping them from using this gas or others like it? I mean I'd actually prefer to see the wankers get peppered with bullets, or see a fat bomb dropped on the shrine itself, but for the sake of reaching the objective, and with great efficiency,knock-out gas followed by a seige, I would have thought, must surely be the one option they have left (if they really are that worried about upsetting the shi'te public).Maybe they are afraid of human rights getting on their case for using opium again (like in Moscow),mind you the majority of them are probably raving H-junkies anyway (here comes Reza or Naseem to tell me that drugs are Harem in islam).
Naseem,
All you Muslim bastards are obsessed with meeting "Allah".
Therefore a nuclear strike would just expedite things a bit.
Rejoice, your reward is coming soon...
Sonny,
You're right, there's always some mard-arse muslim prick or bitch moaning and groaning about all the muslims dying in these wars, and yet:
A) They started all of them.
B) Most of the innocent civilians killed in Iraq (and probably Afghanistan too) are killed by islamic terrorist bombings.
.... and C) To hear them talk (as you pointed out Sonny) dying is the greatest moment in a muslims life, they finally get to meet the demon-lord they've been offering their buttholes to 5 times a day (thats if their paedo-prophet wasn't making it all up).And if they're really lucky they even get 72 vigins(all of them under 12).
Rikki,
"drugs are Harem in islam)".
So is homosexuality,but that doesn't stop the Islamic pedophile perverts from porking little boys.
Biography: Abu Nuwas
Credited as one of the most acclaimed and influential poets in Arabic, Abu Nuwas (Abu Nuwas al-Hasan ibn Hani al-Hakami) spent most of his life in Baghdad. He was said to have been a submissive sex partner to his teacher, master poet Waliba ibn al-Hubab. Before becoming deeply religious, near the end of his life, he enjoyed the practice of pederasty, rarely showing interest in women or older men. He helped to put forward as a genre of Arabic literature love poetry written to young boys. His prominence is often cited as proof that Arab culture has been relatively tolerant of same-sex love between men and young men, despite Islamic law.
Homosexuality was and is widely practiced in Islamic countries. To please
the homosexuals among his followers "Mohammad" promised them pre-pubescent boys in
Paradise.
Below are relevant verses from the Koran and quotes from the Hadiths:
Koran 52:24
Round about them will serve, to them, boys (handsome) as pearls
well-guarded.
Koran 56:17
Round about them will serve boys of perpetual freshness.
Note: Famous poets in Arabia glorified homosexuality. Below is the poem, "Perfumed Garden" by Abu Nuwas:
O the joy of sodomy!
So now be sodomites, you Arabs.
Turn not away from it--
therein is wondrous pleasure.
Take some coy lad with kiss-curls
twisting on his temple
and ride as he stands like some gazelle
standing to her mate.
A lad whom all can see girt with sword
and belt not like your whore who has
to go veiled.
Make for smooth-faced boys and do your
very best to mount them, for women are
the mounts of the devils
Koran 52.24
And there shall wait on them [the Muslim men] young boys of their own, as fair as virgin pearls."
Koran 76.19
They shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth, who will seem like scattered pearls to the beholders.
Naseem, any comments about the above?
Rikki,
That 72 virgins is really just a myth.
You know that Mohammed was such a practical joker
This is what these brain washed idiots will actually encounter:
72 naked and stinky Michael Moore look alikes eagerly waiting to penetrate their anal cavity with a rusty bike fork.
Sonny,
I'm intrigued now, are you absolutely certain that those excerpts from the koran are about muslim men , or could they possibly be for women, to attract them to the prospects of islam and serving their demon-lord allah.
The reason I ask is not because I doubt your sincerity, but because this could proove to be severly damaging to islam, and damaging islam is pretty much my number one goal in life. How do you know (100%) that they are in reference to muslim men (the poetry is, without question the glorification of paedophilic-sodomy for arabs) as there is nothing within them to state that, although it is doubtful in the extreme that women had much say in the matter of whether or not they became muslims, and Mohammed no doubt felt it unnecessary to provide attractive offers to the "inferior gender", instead it would have been much easier to dominate their every move.
Anyway Sonny, let me know because something which prooves the koran to contradict itself so blatantly would be the perfect ammo for me.
Rikki,
The burka was invented to cover up those hideously ugly Arab/Muslim women.
Those hairy armpits and legs, toothless smiles and bad feminine hygiene might explain the need to keep these scanky hags covered in a potato sack.
Speaking of scanky hags where is that Muslim slut Naseem.
As soon as she is confronted with facts the bitch crawls back into her dirthole.
Naseem:
"I read my Mr. HGII’s write up and was shocked by what he wrote; because you cannot beat a rag-tag army with a few guns and rifles …nuke them… LOL, now we know why America is really there. Nuke all who oppose them and take all the oil you need"
Relax, the nuke stuff isn't going to happen. At least not under the present situation.
witness,
You are too much of a pessimist.
"Relax, the nuke stuff isn't going to happen. At least not under the present situation".
Oh, by the way...don't think for one moment that the ground forces are unble to neutralize Al-Sadr and all his guys.
It could have been done weeks ago but.... Well, I think the neocons call it "containment."
But again, we don't need nukes for this job.
I wonder if arab men with 3 or more wives take full advantage of the privelige. Apart from the obvious ones (e.g- sex orgies every night and PMT never getting in the way of their sex-lives again)hows about these:
They could have a kind of pornographic varient on Guess Who , where his wives and a mystery contestant line-up facing away from him dressed in hijabs, but no underwear.
He then has to analy pork each one and guess which one is in fact his 9-year-old son.
Or they could send their slave wife out to rob a bank, dressed in the hijab, just as womens protest for muslim women to be allowed to breath without permission, is taking place in the street outside said bank, thus providing the perfect escape route.
Rikki,
The 3-4 wives is solely for the purpose of reproducing more "sand maggots".
Their real sexual proclivity is detailed below.
"Make for smooth-faced boys and do your
very best to mount them, for women are
the mounts of the devils"
No I have nothing to say about this pathetic Arab poet. Suffice to say that there are plenty of perverts in the west too…and you seem to be obsessed with the subject. I have two anecdotes to add , note though I do not wish to offend!
Q) What does a paedophile have for afters?
A) Under 8s ( as opposed to the after 8 chocolates).
You know that the Chinese show a much better human rights record these days. Yes, they are naming and shaming their paedophiles…and the 1st one “fuk em yung”.
Naseem,
"you seem to be obsessed with the subject".
To the contary it is your fellow "Arab/Muslim" homosexual pedophile child rapers that are obsessed with this type of depraved behavior.
"No I have nothing to say about this pathetic Arab poet"
This "pathetic poet" as you say, is part of your "great" Arab/Muslim culture.
Another "holy" aspect of your vile ideology.
Naseem,
Looks like those "brave" Muslim fighters are getting their asses kicked!
"The size of the al-Sadr's forces in the Old City appeared to have decreased Monday with the U.S. advance, witnesses said. Fewer fighters were seen in the streets and some were seen leaving Najaf, residents said. Militant medical officials said at least two insurgents were killed and four others injured".
Why..oh why must we always see "brave" in front of "muslim fighters"??? There is NOTHING brave about hiding out in a mosque and surrounding yourself with women, children and elderly people. The cowardly muslim men are once again using women and children to hide behind. They even showed the cowards carrying a very old woman (the poor thing looked like death warmed over) who looked in the final stages of dimentia and setting her down, in other words, the cowards could shoot at American troops but if the Americans shoot back likely the women, children and elderly would be killed first and the cowardly muslims could play "poor us" to the media again about how the evil American aimed at and killed on purpose their women and children...and remember the elderly gal who had nothing better to do with her day than sit in the stinky mosque...well they even killed her...
that tactic is really getting old...maybe they could come up with a new on...say ACTUALLY being brave and coming out and fighting like MEN...but I think that is too much to ask.
People,
I do think we need to give Naseem a round of applause for his/her humor and embryonic empathy with humanity, unlike that evil Reza, who seems to exist only for the purpose of disseminating ill-will and poison.
Naseem, you are an honorary kafir!! :)
May you be someday be fully graced with the light of the Truth.
Oh, by the way...don't think for one moment that the ground forces are unble to neutralize Al-Sadr and all his guys.
It could have been done weeks ago but.... Well, I think the neocons call it "containment."
But again, we don't need nukes for this job.
Posted by: witness at August 23, 2004 08:48 AM
He may be an S.O.B., but he is our S.O.B." goes the neocon thinking. After all, Saddam and his predecesor were both CIA operatives at one point.
Besides, the clean-up after a Nuclear explosion in the area will be less than economically optimal. That would drive up world market prices for crude and ... you get the picture.
Posted by: witness at August 22, 2004 09:12 PM
You porpuss for name calling once again you are as bad as those we fight?
sader is not the USAs he is Irans!!
Not to worry we will take out sader if we want to we are giving the Iraqi Goverment a chance to show their strength this is important if we the USA are not going to spend the next 60yrs holding their hand as we have in Germany?
We also have some pretty nasty[sexy] stuff that can do alot of damage and not leave to much of a mess called mother of all bombs or MOABs We the American People don't care about their oil we have our own? and we will do with out for a while if it takes care of this evil that has declared WAR on the world?
Notice that oil is down almost 10 a barell cause why you ask could it be the Alaska's Gov. said he was going to drill and damn the ECO FREEKS??
Part of the American Tribe
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and All who Fight with her give them Strength,Wisdom and Courage to stay the course to Victory Amen