Saturday, March 17, 2007
Mass protests in Sadr City
Security, Politics
(Al Jazeera) More than a thousand unarmed protesters demanded the removal of a US military base in Baghdad's Sadr City on Friday in the first sign of Shia opposition to a new security plan. A large crowd of Shia-led worshippers unfurled banners demanding the base be abandoned while chanting: "No, no to America. No, no to Israel. No, no to Satan."
There have been fears that US and Iraqi forces would face violent opposition as they tried to gain control of the vast Sadr City district- a stronghold of the Moqtada al-Sadr's al-Mahdi armed fighters. Instead, al-Sadr's black-clad fighters melted away as the plan went into effect last month. Sadr himself was not present - the US military believes he has gone to ground in Iraq's Shia neighbour Iran - but supporters carried his portrait and read out a statement he had apparently sent to them.
There have been fears that US and Iraqi forces would face violent opposition as they tried to gain control of the vast Sadr City district- a stronghold of the Moqtada al-Sadr's al-Mahdi armed fighters. Instead, al-Sadr's black-clad fighters melted away as the plan went into effect last month. Sadr himself was not present - the US military believes he has gone to ground in Iraq's Shia neighbour Iran - but supporters carried his portrait and read out a statement he had apparently sent to them.
COMMENT: It is likely the protests were triggered by the attack on the mayor of Sadr City, Rahim al-Darraji, who has been cooperative with the U.S. in Operation Imposing Law and statements released by al-Sadr to stand up to the U.S. Although Sunnis are obvious suspects to have carried out the attack, it could also have been conducted by Shia militia men against the stand that al-Darraji has taken with the U.S. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Moqtada Al-Sadr, Operation Fardh al-Qanoon, Rahim al-Darraji, Sadr City
