Hot Air Mobile
Home The Vault Gear About
Hot Air -- get your fill


Quote of the day

posted at 10:00 pm on July 26, 2008 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | regular view

The militia that was once the biggest defender of poor Shiites in Iraq, the Mahdi Army, has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighborhoods across Baghdad, in an important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq…

“The Iraqi government broke their branches and took down their tree,” said Abu Amjad, a civil servant who lives in the northern Baghdad district of Sadr City, once seen as an unbreachable stronghold for the group…

A month after Mr. Maliki’s military operation, strange things started to happen in Shuala, a vast expanse of concrete and sand-colored houses in northern Baghdad that was one of the Mahdi Army’s main strongholds. Militia members suddenly stopped showing up to collect money from the main gas station, a worker there said.

A member of the Shuala district council said: “They used to come and order us to give them 100 gas canisters. Now it’s, ‘Can you please give me a gas canister?’


Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Trackbacks/Pings

Trackback URL

Comments

Comment pages:

Mookie.

A clown in black robes with bad teeth and bad breath. Now seen for what he is, a Coward and a liar, and his “mighty army”, its powers all exposed as mere thuggery and criminal behavior, are done.

Stick a fork in his ass. He is a putrid gas bag responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis. Only the US media could think anyone so unsophisticated and ignorant is a genius of political warfare.

He, and they, are morons.

Subsunk

Subsunk on July 26, 2008 at 10:07 PM

Kill them all, starting with Sadr. He is a congenital idiot.

pat on July 26, 2008 at 10:09 PM

Send them to their 70 (canine) virgins.

jgapinoy on July 26, 2008 at 10:10 PM

The militia that was once the biggest defender of poor Shiites in Iraq, the Mahdi Army

Riiiiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhhhtttttttt

They were the local mob

bnelson44 on July 26, 2008 at 10:11 PM

LOL! Even the NYT can’t hide the facts anymore. The Democrats won’t be able to take credit for the success no matter how much they and the media spin it. With the war and energy, the libs are going to look very foolish by election day.

We can’t lose!

Greenhorn on July 26, 2008 at 10:18 PM

For the uninitiated, the “100 gas canisters” were used for fabricate the dreaded “flying IED’s“, unfortunately!

Just another indicator that I DO know what I’m talking about; and there is much more to these stories, than “surface” analysis can touch upon!

Dale in Atlanta on July 26, 2008 at 10:19 PM

“They lost everything,” said the Sadr City government employee. “The Sadr movement has no power now. There is no militia control.”

Cause for cheer:)

Apologies, ahead of time, but a link from that page (also NYT article) also very interesting with respect to Obama’s reception.

Spirit of 1776 on July 26, 2008 at 10:20 PM

“They used to come and order us to give them 100 gas canisters. Now it’s, ‘Can you please give me a gas canister?’”

Ha! I hope ya told him to go screw a camel! No wait; that’s a compliment. Your answer should be “Yeah, for four dollars a gallon.”

Tony737 on July 26, 2008 at 10:23 PM

This is not the Mahdi Army I knew……..

( couldn’t resist )

Has anyone notified the Obama “transition team”???

Janos Hunyadi on July 26, 2008 at 10:26 PM

Repeat after me, Mookie: Allahpundit Akbar, Allahpundit Akbar.

Maybe they can find work for you around here.

And do something about those teeth, ’cause damned no one will sit next to you in the lunch room with those choppers.

SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 10:29 PM

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Editorial
Deadly sanctuary: Killer illegals
Illegal alien Edwin Ramos, a career criminal charged with killing a father and his two sons last month in San Francisco, symbolizes the psychopathy of the “sanctuary movement” in America. — Mr. Ramos, now 21, had been one of the illegal alien juveniles — who committed felonies — shielded from possible deportation…

DfDeportation on July 26, 2008 at 10:31 PM

Ha!I hope ya told him to go screw a camel!

Tony737 on July 26,2008 at 10:31PM.

Tony737:Hey Tony,he he,Somewhere in the world,”I’d walk
a mile for a Camel”,as in “I’d rather fight then
switch”! haha.:)

canopfor on July 26, 2008 at 10:39 PM

We can’t lose!

Greenhorn on July 26, 2008 at 10:18 PM

This reminds me of that 80’s movie The Last Starfighter. There’s a great scene where the hero, once he suddenly realizes he’s confronting insurmountable odds, cries out, “it’ll be a slaughter!”, and his sidekick deadpans, “that’s the spirit!!”

/obscure

Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 10:47 PM

Um Hussein

Barack’s distant relative?

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 26, 2008 at 11:09 PM

Barack’s distant relative?

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 26, 2008 at 11:09 PM

Barack’s answer to the question: What’s your middle name?

misterpeasea on July 26, 2008 at 11:11 PM

misterpeasea on July 26, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Nice one, dude.

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 26, 2008 at 11:12 PM

I’m usually really bad with names, especially Islamic ones, but I didn’t have any problem remembering Moktada al-Sadr’s. As a memory aid I learned it as “Mucous of Satan” and from that his name just leaps instantly to mind.

FloatingRock on July 26, 2008 at 11:19 PM

I hope he stays in Iran.

Terrye on July 26, 2008 at 11:25 PM

Despite the militia’s weakened state, none of the Iraqis interviewed agreed to have their full names published for fear of retribution.

Too bad the New York Times can’t see their way clear to grant anonymity wishes for Americans with the same fears.

Anti-American Bastards.

hillbillyjim on July 26, 2008 at 11:28 PM

Isn’t it interesting that when we celebrate good news (albeit, as with this, caveats) that the “usual suspects” are nowhere to be found?

It’s almost like they wish for our defeat, for loss, for bad news.

That simply couldn’t be true, could it?

Fooey on them.

SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 11:31 PM

I’m for anything that makes thugs more polite.

snaggletoothie on July 26, 2008 at 11:51 PM

Michelle Obamuhhh is NOT proud of this.

SouthernGent on July 27, 2008 at 12:06 AM

Obligatory.

doubleplusundead on July 27, 2008 at 12:22 AM

Now it’s, ‘Can you please give me a gas canister?’”

“Please Sir, I want some more.”

Guardian on July 27, 2008 at 1:21 AM

We’ll see how popular al Sadr is after next year’s elections.

alphie on July 27, 2008 at 1:30 AM

A clown in black robes with bad teeth and bad breath. Now seen for what he is, a Coward and a liar, and his “mighty army”, its powers all exposed as mere thuggery and criminal behavior, are done.

Stick a fork in his ass. He is a putrid gas bag responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis. Only the US media could think anyone so unsophisticated and ignorant is a genius of political warfare.

He, and they, are morons.

Subsunk

Subsunk on July 26, 2008 at 10:07 PM

Semper Fi and a bellicose HOO YAH!!!!!!

winemkr on July 27, 2008 at 2:25 AM

The man is still very dangerous

wepeople on July 27, 2008 at 9:25 AM

Agreed. He is still dangerous.

He really ought to have an “accident.”

drjohn on July 27, 2008 at 9:55 AM

The man is still very dangerous

wepeople on July 27, 2008 at 9:25 AM

Yep, hide the farm animals and small children!

TooTall on July 27, 2008 at 1:20 PM

We’ll see how popular al Sadr is after next year’s elections.

There’s always tomorrow to hope for, right?

The Iraqi people apparently don’t seem to be too upset with the destruction of his militias.

That seems to be at least one indicator of declining support.

Yes, miles to go before we sleep over Iraq.

SteveMG on July 27, 2008 at 1:31 PM

Sound’s like Mookie and friends were running an old Chicago-style protection racket to me…

landlines on July 27, 2008 at 1:34 PM

Send them to their 70 (canineporcine) virgins.

jgapinoy on July 26, 2008 at 10:10 PM

Fixed that for you.

ErikTheRed on July 27, 2008 at 1:46 PM

We should have killed Mookie years ago. No time like the present to remedy that error.

trigon on July 27, 2008 at 1:49 PM

It’s hard to hear the “people of Iraq” over all the propaganda, Steve.

That’s why elections are so handy.

alphie on July 27, 2008 at 2:12 PM

Pelosi and Reid cried.

jukin on July 27, 2008 at 3:34 PM

It’s hard to hear the “people of Iraq” over all the propaganda, Steve.

The streets seems quiet. I.e., no protests over the dismantling of the militias/army.

Propaganda from whom? The Associated Press?

Murdoch doesn’t own them.

SteveMG on July 27, 2008 at 3:42 PM

Murtha – not too late to redeploy to Okinawa

Kini on July 27, 2008 at 3:43 PM

If Sadr goes back to Iraq, Maliki will be able two arrest him on two outstanding warrants for murder.

dogsoldier on July 27, 2008 at 3:46 PM

A member of the Shuala district council said: “They used to come and order us to give them 100 gas canisters. Now it’s, ‘Can you please give me a gas canister?’”

I have always been a believer in the value of holding high expectations of oneself and others.

What we, the USA, did was greatly underestimate what the effect of removing authority from people who had lived for many years under oppressive authority would have on those people. As we saw, many of them devolved into pettiness and sectarian violence. Others tried stepping in in efforts to caste themselves as the new authority figures. And some looked to turn Iraq into a hot war on the USA and the Western world.

In putting the necessary “boots on the ground” and utilizing strategies to go after the “bad actors,” much like going after the schoolyard bully, the surge has resulted in the average Iraqi feeling safe enough to help weed out more “bad actors” and to expect everyone to begin treating each other with decency, common courtesy and respect.

Wildcatter1980 on July 27, 2008 at 4:07 PM

In putting the necessary “boots on the ground” and utilizing strategies to go after the “bad actors,” much like going after the schoolyard bully, the surge has resulted in the average Iraqi feeling safe enough to help weed out more “bad actors” and

In some ways, it may be analogous to the “broken windows” theory of crime.

That is, if evidence of decay in a neighborhood is left unattended, that over time people begin to withdraw or not be involved in their locale. They tend to accept the circumstances and are unwilling to be active participants in their neighborhoods.

Just a hunch.

SteveMG on July 27, 2008 at 4:13 PM

Comment pages:


You must be logged in to post a comment.