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Where In The World Is Muqtada
It is now being reported that Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the terrorist organization known as the Mahdi Army, has fled to Iran. From FoxNews:
The chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq insisted Wednesday that Muqtada al-Sadr has left the country and is believed to be in Iran, despite denials from the radical Shiite cleric's supporters.The statement by Maj. Gen. William Caldwell came after a U.S. official said al-Sadr left the country some weeks ago and is believed to be in Tehran, where he has family. The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. monitoring activities, said fractures in al-Sadr's political and militia operations may be part of the reason for his departure. The move is not believed to be permanent, the official said.
Of course, there are those in Iraq, both in the government as well as among al-Sadr’s loyalists, that claim otherwise and that the U.S. assertion that al-Sadr is in Iran is politically motivated. They could be right, however, their claims can also be construed as politically motivated. Personally, I suspect that Caldwell’s statement, that al-Sadr has fled to Iran, is correct.
Al-Sadr’s terrorist thugs have clashed with U.S. led coalition forces since it came into existence shortly after Hussein was deposed. It is also one of the main groups fueling ongoing sectarian violence that has escalated after the bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque. it is terrorist organizations, these so called private militia’s, that are causing the most havoc in Iraq and undermining efforts to establish a fully independent and democratic government in Iraq.
The proposed surge of U.S. troops could go a long way in eliminating these groups. This is why in the past weeks there have been many reports of "insurgent" leaders crossing the border into Iran.
Two key members of al-Sadr's political and military organization were gunned down last week, the latest of as many as seven key figures in the al-Sadr organization killed or captured in the past two months.A close aide who meets regularly with al-Sadr said the cleric was not in Tehran, said the report probably stemmed from a campaign by al-Sadr's people to put out false information about his movements amid fears he will be detained by U.S.-led forces. The cleric also is sleeping in different places each night, the aide said.
Regardless of claims to the contrary and al-Sadr still is in Iraq, any man who lives in hiding in this fashion, sleeping in a different place every night, has got to be up to no good. Otherwise, they would not be in hiding. Al-Sadr has on numerous occasions incited violence in Iraq. With the impending increase in security patrols that are being planned to eliminate many of these terrorist militia organizations, it is no wonder that they are going to ground.
One thing is certain; it is well past time for the Iraqi government to crack down on these criminal militias. If Nouri al-Maliki is serious about leading his nation into the 21st century and establishing liberty and democracy, these militias have to be eliminated, either through disburdenment, incarceration, or militarily.
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