Damage control: Sadr “reorganizes” Mahdi Army
posted at 4:33 pm on June 13, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Longtime HA readers will have a basic idea of what this is about; readers of Bill Roggio’s site, Long War Journal, will grasp the significance instantly. The U.S. military has been playing a rhetorical game with Sadr and the JAM for years now as a way to avoid alienating his Shiite supporters. American soldiers never battle the Mahdi Army, you see. What they battle are, ahem, “special groups” of rogue Shiite militiamen who might call themselves Mahdi Army but surely can’t be legitimate members or else they’d be observing the truce laid down by our friend, sayyid Muqtada. Roggio and Daveed Gartenstein-Ross wrote an essential post about this recently explaining what the “special groups” nonsense is all about. Read it all, please, but here’s the money bit:
The military has taken a carrot-and-stick approach with Sadr and the Mahdi Army, encouraging Sadr to maintain the ceasefire that he declared in August 2007. As a result of this approach, the American military sees two strategic purposes behind trumpeting divisions between Sadr and the special groups. First, it is a face-saving tool. The military is able to save face by not labeling Sadr a terrorist, and thus maintaining its ability to engage him. Sadr in turn is able to save face before the Iraqi public: Whenever he quells the special groups’ violent actions, he won’t be seen as backing down before the U.S. because (according to this narrative) he did not initiate the violence in the first place. Second, the military hopes to drive an actual wedge between Sadr and some of the more violent Mahdi Army factions through this rhetoric…
American soldiers on the ground see little distinction between the Mahdi Army and the special groups.
Has the wedge been driven? Say hello to the special-est group of all:
Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr revealed Friday that he plans to create a powerful new fighting force to battle what he calls “the occupiers” in Iraq…
“The resistance will be carried out exclusively by a special group which I will announce later,” Sadr’s statement read, adding that “weapons will be in the hands of this group exclusively and will only be directed at the occupier,” using standard terms for the American forces in Iraq.
He warned that those who disobey will be “will not be with me.”
In other words, he’s reclaiming his brand by embracing the Americans’ fiction. From now on, if you’re an Iraqi soldier being shot at or a shopkeeper being shaken down or an Iraqi woman being threatened for not wearing a hijab by the local Mahdi Army scum, unless they’re part of the elite unit of armed fighters Sadr’s planning to create then by definition they’re not official JAM and he shouldn’t be held responsible. This is, in all likelihood, a reaction to the new respect the Iraqi army’s earned by restoring order in Basra and penetrating Sadr City, such that Sadr doesn’t want to be seen on the wrong side of them if some of his guys attack, but the truth is that predatory JAM behavior among the Shiites has been eroding his standing for months now. His previous solution was to bring out the long knives and beat or kill the worst offenders, but I guess he finally concluded there were too many to deal with. Solution: Declare everyone who picks up a gun without his explicit authorization a de facto “special group” member, whom the U.S. or Iraqi army can target as they see fit. Everyone wins!
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In other words he is working the Hezbollah model of providing social services to further Jihad.
William Amos on June 13, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Wait a second here … I thought he and his army were kicking ass and taking names … that’s what the MSM reported. Could it be possible that the MSM mis-reported something on the Iraq War? …? ….?
Get outta here. Next you’ll be telling me that some professional athletes use steroids or some other silly notion.
thirteen28 on June 13, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Time to withdraw from Iraq, Sadr has won another victory.
Who knew that one man would cause us so many losses and be the one to push us out?
/grin
Voidseeker on June 13, 2008 at 4:40 PM
This “special group” of fighters will be transported to the battlefield front lines by a short bus.
Rhinoboy on June 13, 2008 at 4:45 PM
We’ll have to kill this fat turd eventually.
pseudonominus on June 13, 2008 at 4:45 PM
When are we going to finally dedicate a Predator to the exclusive task of killing this little bastard?
GarandFan on June 13, 2008 at 4:48 PM
Mookie & his merry band of murdering thugs should have been rounded up and dealt with two years ago. Mookie has been hiding in Iran and not readily available.
Sadr City is a genuine hellhole and a human cesspool. I have seen and survived it. This is an issue for the New Iraqi Democracy to deal with. Had it been my responsibility, draconian means would have been exercised and the problem would have been resolved.
Diplomacy with murdering thugs is just not likely to succeed.
A round of discussions would have yielded nothing but frustration. Radical Islam understands one thing only, raw brute force.
Sadr is only posturing and making noise but his followers act on his words like commands. The Maliki Government must act quickly and with firm resolve. The ball is his court.
Just a reminder, Sadr had an arrest warrant on his head four years ago. It is time to serve that warrant and try him.
old trooper on June 13, 2008 at 4:48 PM
[Picture a cartoonish Sadr drawing a line in the sand]
“You cross this line, YOU DIE!” [retreats, draws another line]
“OK, if you cross THIS line, you die!” [more retreat, 'nuther line]
“OK, if you cross THIS line, I run to Iran! Phbbbtt!!”
innominatus on June 13, 2008 at 4:50 PM
He added that each member would have a super-special superpower — for example, one might have the ability to stretch his limbs almost infinitely, while another might swim in the sea and command cooperation from the marine life. The force would be outfitted in identical colorful uniforms made of a shiny material like spandex. Each member will get his powers from a magical Koran carried in the waistband of his super-pants.
The force will be called Mookie’s Super Friends.
Cicero43 on June 13, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Powerfull new Fighting Force???
Droid Army? or Clones?
Darth Sadr on the march again…
On a serious note… his new fighting force will be made up of Qud’s force and Hezbollah members… and be under the control of Iran.
Romeo13 on June 13, 2008 at 5:01 PM
I don’t know… is Spandex allowed under Sharia Law?
Romeo13 on June 13, 2008 at 5:03 PM
This seems more like a Fark headline “Sadr Reorganizes Mahdi Army, Adds Upgraded Tie Fighters, Battle Bots and Iranians.
Rbastid on June 13, 2008 at 5:11 PM
I believe Sadr is busy finishing up his studies to earn the religious title of “Ayatollah.”
Just in time to take over Iraq when Sistani kicks it…
alphie on June 13, 2008 at 5:14 PM
Mookie al-Sadr Military Strategy:
1. Rouse the Rabble.
2. Shoot everything that moves.
3. Piss off the natives & make lots of enemies.
4. Lose lots of fighters.
5. Sue for peace.
6. Retreat.
7. Repeat.
$64,000 question: How many times can Sadr “repeat” until A) he runs out of rabble or B) Maliki and/or Petraeus refuses #5 and crushes him?
Steve Z on June 13, 2008 at 5:15 PM
This guy will be taken down exactly the same way the KKK was brought down, with informants, inside knowledge. It’s the only way you can bring down an insurgency.
Identify, locate, neutralize the leaders, the suppliers, the financiers, and the enablers.
rockhauler on June 13, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Too late.
By OUR politicians not allowing it when it was politically and practically feasible, he has been elevated nearly to a similar status as Yassir Arafat, and is now a significant player on the international stage.
He will now only be removed if he accidentally shoots himself, self detonates, or if one of his lieutenants finally gets sick of him and tries to take over.
LegendHasIt on June 13, 2008 at 5:37 PM
good post AP
Diogenes of Sinope on June 13, 2008 at 5:38 PM
I’m trying to figure out why this guy’s head is not on a platter somewhere?
Sadr should have been gone after the minute he popped his head out. Truly a mistake to let this evil man breathe fresh air.
At first I tried to understand why he was allowed to live the one time they had him holed up in the beginning. I never totally bought into the “we let him live to not upset his followers” excuse because it runs contrary to how we are supposedly fighting al qaeda…keep picking off their top ones and weaken their structure. People need to realize that stuff like this doesn’t just “get over with”, you got to stay on top of it and keep at it so it doesn’t grow. Evil will always exist but that doesn’t mean one should not fight it. Sadr imo has done nothing but grow into a huge headache….and for what purpose?
diaphanous on June 13, 2008 at 5:55 PM
“I know you guys are getting your butts handed to you by the occupiers and their traitorous Iraqi lackeys, but I have now designated you ‘Super Duper Special Groups’. This enhanced term will mean you cannot be killed and you can slaughter the infidels merely by looking at them!”
“Now get out there and die for my political powe…err…for the sake of Allah!”
Bishop on June 13, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Would be so righteous to see this pig get splatted by a hellfire missile
dennisw on June 13, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Gosh! I can’t wait ’til they debut on saturday morning television!
sanclemman on June 13, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Nasrallah he is not. Good! :)
AlexB on June 13, 2008 at 7:43 PM
Yeah… I’ve… got an army… a Super Secret army you can’t see…. yeah… you can’t see it till it hits you… the PPOOOOOOFFFFF you can’t see it again….
Yeah… thats the ticket…
Romeo13 on June 13, 2008 at 8:11 PM
“and Farrah Fawcett’s Goat… whom I’ve slept with…”
Mookie
Romeo13 on June 13, 2008 at 8:16 PM
Muqtada may end up on the wrong side of a gun held by one his former supporters, now special group member in bad standing. Too bad.
Zorro on June 13, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Congratulations! That is THE dumbest thing written on this post!11!1!
When Sistani goes (he’s been slowly eroding since 1997 or so) I rather think his family and a whole heck of a lot other of the ulema will be naming a successor. The dumb guy hiding in Iran won’t be considered.
As for the Really Special Group, I think they will meet one part of the definition of elite….small. Well, at least down here in Basrah. Heh heh.
major john on June 14, 2008 at 8:06 AM