Sadr's followers demand Biden stay away from Iraq

[Stefanie]

NAJAF, Iraq | Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:55am EST

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Followers of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Friday after prayers to condemn a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and demand U.S. forces leave the country.

Around 2,000 supporters of the fiery anti-American cleric demonstrated in the town of Kufa, chanting anti-U.S. slogans a day after Biden paid his first visit to Iraq since Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was reappointed.

"In our protest, we demand that visits like Biden's to Iraq should not be repeated and that the occupier leaves," said Mohammed Abbas, 25, a day laborer.

Sadr's movement has won a powerful place in Maliki's new government, with seven ministries.

His clout will make it difficult for Maliki to contemplate an extension of the U.S. military presence beyond the end of the year, when the U.S. forces that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003 must withdraw under the terms of a security pact.

Biden visited Iraq on Thursday for talks with Iraqi officials, his seventh visit since January 2009. Iraqi officials said he and Maliki did not discuss keeping any U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline.

Sadr, whose militia fought fierce battles with U.S. troops after the invasion and was blamed for much of the sectarian bloodshed that gripped Iraq, returned home last week from years of self-imposed exile in Iran.

In his first public speech in the holy city of Najaf last Saturday, he urged his supporters to denounce the U.S. presence and demand the government of which his movement is a part live up to a promise to make the U.S. military withdraw on time.

"We have responded to Sayyed Sadr's call and demonstrated against the United States, the occupation, and the unwelcome visit of the U.S. vice president to Iraq," said Ali Saad, 35, also a day laborer.

The number of U.S. troops in Iraq fell below 50,000 last August when the U.S. military switched its role to advising and assisting its Iraqi counterparts, rather than leading the fight against a weakened but still lethal insurgency.

Sadr attended Friday prayers in Kufa, site of a revered Shi'ite mosque, but did not deliver a sermon. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani paid Sadr a visit on Friday.

(Reporting by Khaled Farhan; Writing by Khalid al-Ansary; Editing by Michael Christie and Tim Pearce)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70636V20110114

[stephen]

Smart people if they don't want him there

[coyote]

Send the Marines back over their, these terrorist should not have a say in anything, I thought that was a given

[Nani?]

Love it

[harry2299]

I would like to say somthing and this is jmo.This SOB needs to be taken out, his disrespect for the USA is a smack in the face to every soldier who spilled there blood for these ungreatfull bastards, how many we lost , and now there families read this....How do you think this makes them feel...like there loved ones died in vain, and this jerk*** comes back after 4 years and condems the very country that saved there ass`s.....I am sorry if this post upsets anyone, but having lost someone over there , and then reading about this SOB has me seeing red......sorry for any spelling errors

[BruceV]

Someones going to need to put a bullet in his head!!

[tired_of_waiting]

I would like to say somthing and this is jmo.This SOB needs to be taken out, his disrespect for the USA is a smack in the face to every soldier who spilled there blood for these ungreatfull bastards, how many we lost , and now there families read this....How do you think this makes them feel...like there loved ones died in vain, and this jerk*** comes back after 4 years and condems the very country that saved there ass`s.....I am sorry if this post upsets anyone, but having lost someone over there , and then reading about this SOB has me seeing red......sorry for any spelling errors

If I could vote a million +'s I would!! Thatnks for keeping this all in focus God bless you and your's .

[luv2hike27]

There is never a cruise missile around when you need one....

[vern]

There is never a cruise missile around when you need one....

YA it,s always getting nailed for speeding-- er sorry wrong missle- thot you meant aw forget it

[krmayo]

"In our protest, we demand that visits like Biden's to Iraq should not be repeated and that the occupier leaves," said Mohammed Abbas, 25, a day laborer.

Get over it Mohammed. Your voice only incites violence. The 'occupiers' will leave (mostly) when you guys get your (explicative) together.

[dinargangster]

I was in Baghdad when Biden and his wife came to Baghdad last time, I am anti Obama and anti Biden but at least the guy trys and he does put his life in danger to go visit with these FOOLS! Al Sadr needs to be shot! I believe in my personal opinion he is going to be a huge thorn in the side of most Iraqis that wont democracy. The last visit Biden was there was at a natraulization ceremony where he gave alot of our troops that have served OUR country citzenship. I believe this guy is genuine and if any of you would like to see this I have it on video straight from the Al Fawl palace. The palace is located about 30 minutes in a convoy from the green zone(or I call it the pink zone) I call it this becasue the green zone is shrinking there. The Us embassy in the green zone is the biggest us embassy in the world and it is very nice! It has green grass,water fountains, those are two things that you can go all over iraq and never see and quite frankly it amazed me. I just wish that while I spent my time there I could have made a few connections that could relay info about the dinar but i didnt and I am not going back. I am basically saying that Sadr is a trouble maker and he is not helping us out at all! If he wants us out of the country he is going to be pissed when he finds out that we will be stayin after the end of 2011, there will be 5 fobs that are everlasting( meaning that special forces or some type of military will be staying in Iraq after the drawdown) I know alot of people have never seen but if any of you guys are intrested in seeing pics and a few videos i have them on facebook. Iraqis are peacefful people and they just want the bombs to stop and mainly everyone that I talked to wants electricity seeing how they only get it 2-4 hours per day. Back to Sadr.... this guy needs to be dealt with and he needs it quick! Well this post is off topic a little and If anyone is intrested in pics just let me know

[quadraph0nic]

Once agreements are put in place and Iraq is past the GOI and chap 7, this RV will change how Iraqi's think and if Sadr does anything drastic he will be either killed or he will run back to tehran. This is all Iran bs anyway. Iran naturally does not want a prosperous Iraq. Notice how the other Akmajenadad invited Alawi for a visit. I think Alawi said yeah....mmm i'll think about it. lol

You know with the border problems between America and Mexico? years from now, imagine one between Iran and Iraq.

[christianforlife]

Again....I say....DON"T POST THREATENING POST...do you not think they don't read our post. STOP !!!!!

[Jazzy baby]

Stuff like this just gets in the way of progress. I hate to say it but this Al Sadr guy need to vanish nice and quite like. Make it look like a heart attack.... or Alkyda

[hf328]

Can't shoot him...he needs to die of undetrimined causes...otherwise he becomes a martyr and we don't need that. Looks like a job for black ops. "Heart Attack", "Food Poisoning", anything that makes it seem that he was called to his maker.

[ekfinn]

I would like to say somthing and this is jmo.This SOB needs to be taken out, his disrespect for the USA is a smack in the face to every soldier who spilled there blood for these ungreatfull bastards, how many we lost , and now there families read this....How do you think this makes them feel...like there loved ones died in vain, and this jerk*** comes back after 4 years and condems the very country that saved there ass`s.....I am sorry if this post upsets anyone, but having lost someone over there , and then reading about this SOB has me seeing red......sorry for any spelling errors

You're not going to have any criticism from me. I think it's high time we prove to the liberals that they were right... and turn this war into a war about oil. Drive our tanks into the capitol, declare martial law, and let the evil overlords at Haliburton crank production to maximum.

It is rapidly emerging that we have done everything possible to create a civil society for these people, and in the end it's an exercise in futility trying to herd a bunch of illiterate sheep who worship a false prophet that raped and murdered through the villages of the 5th century Arabian peninsula.

It's nice to know that our neutered Hopey Change era CIA has everything in hand.

[RealTime]

Heart attack while screwing a yak! Yeah, that's the ticket!

Damn. Makes me miss Ronnie Raygun.

[hopefullbk]

This guy is a scarey guy!

[DinarViper]

they should just finish paying us off with the RV,

that will make a lot of them rich tooo

and then we'll see who wants what....

[leechicago54]

NAJAF, Iraq | Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:55am EST

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Followers of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Friday after prayers to condemn a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and demand U.S. forces leave the country.

Around 2,000 supporters of the fiery anti-American cleric demonstrated in the town of Kufa, chanting anti-U.S. slogans a day after Biden paid his first visit to Iraq since Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was reappointed.

"In our protest, we demand that visits like Biden's to Iraq should not be repeated and that the occupier leaves," said Mohammed Abbas, 25, a day laborer.

Sadr's movement has won a powerful place in Maliki's new government, with seven ministries.

His clout will make it difficult for Maliki to contemplate an extension of the U.S. military presence beyond the end of the year, when the U.S. forces that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003 must withdraw under the terms of a security pact.

Biden visited Iraq on Thursday for talks with Iraqi officials, his seventh visit since January 2009. Iraqi officials said he and Maliki did not discuss keeping any U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline.

Sadr, whose militia fought fierce battles with U.S. troops after the invasion and was blamed for much of the sectarian bloodshed that gripped Iraq, returned home last week from years of self-imposed exile in Iran.

In his first public speech in the holy city of Najaf last Saturday, he urged his supporters to denounce the U.S. presence and demand the government of which his movement is a part live up to a promise to make the U.S. military withdraw on time.

"We have responded to Sayyed Sadr's call and demonstrated against the United States, the occupation, and the unwelcome visit of the U.S. vice president to Iraq," said Ali Saad, 35, also a day laborer.

The number of U.S. troops in Iraq fell below 50,000 last August when the U.S. military switched its role to advising and assisting its Iraqi counterparts, rather than leading the fight against a weakened but still lethal insurgency.

Sadr attended Friday prayers in Kufa, site of a revered Shi'ite mosque, but did not deliver a sermon. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani paid Sadr a visit on Friday.

(Reporting by Khaled Farhan; Writing by Khalid al-Ansary; Editing by Michael Christie and Tim Pearce)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70636V20110114

[Soldiering4U]

this guy isn't scary he is their version of Jeremiah Wright, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson... he is a lot of blow hard stuffed into a mandress... I think he should be gone for inciting riots and disrupting the flow of society

by the way I do agree with the hart attack while mounting a yack but he needs to be eating some pork skins too

Edited January 14, 2011 by Soldiering4U

[kevnutz]

So some day laborores are demanding that our VP doesn't return? What do they know? From what I have read, Sadr is a puppet, born into some type of power and It is safer to have him in Iraq than in Iran. The people will listen to him and he has the power to brinfg the nation together, or drive them apart. Hopefully, in today's Iraq, he will do what is best for the Iraqis. This one could go either way imo.

[jphillips]

Amen Harry. This is the problem with America. We are too complacent when it comes to tolerating the likes of this lunatic. He should be taken out, it should be public and the world should understand that we are tired of putting up with the crap that gets thrown at us as we work to make the world a better place. Sure, do we get stuff wrong? Of course we do, but we always put everyone else before us and all we get is rhetoric spewed by small minded morons like Sadr. Sorry for the rant but it makes me sick that we go over there, give up life and blood and then have to listen to this scum as he hurls insults and threats in our direction. Where was he, this coward, while we were in there taking care of business? Oh yeah, he ran away from his idiotic followers because he was afraid. What a crock. He wasn't so loud when his life was in danger. Time to shut him up.

[stillwaters]

In the grand scheme of things Sadr and ALL people who are filled with, driven by, and spew hatred will reap what they sow. This is Universal Law. And yes, we need to keep our friends close and our enemies closer, because if you stick your head in the sand you will get your ass kicked.

[Yabadabado]

In the grand scheme of things Sadr and ALL people who are filled with, driven by, and spew hatred will reap what they sow. This is Universal Law. And yes, we need to keep our friends close and our enemies closer, because if you stick your head in the sand you will get your ass kicked.

Why the heck did Iraq and the Iraqi people let this mad man back into their new country? He is now again creating unrest and disrupting stability and the actual chance to step out of a third world country. Iraqi people look at what this Cleric Sadr is saying!!! Sadr is trying to destroy the positive and wonderful future of a country that has the ability to do great and wonderful things for thier own country and the world. Iraqi people stand up and refuse this radical cleric Sadr!