Juan Cole has an informative collection of translations that explain the fallout of the resulting mutiny in Basra of the Puppet Regimes inept matchstick men. I find it hard to believe that this wasn’t tucked away in the back of his mind somewhere before he decidifieded to embark on his first reign of terror on his own people.
The induction of Badr Corps fighters (the paramilitary of ISCI) and those of the Da’wa Party into security positions came in the wake of the firing of thousands of officers and troops who had refused to obey orders to fire on the Mahdi Army militiamen in Baghdad and the southern provinces. They were accused of mutiny.
One of the stories he notes, from McClatchy, deals with the coinciding Sadr City airstrikes and quotes one Sadrist as saying;
“We realized what kind of government we have: They are like foxes,” Abu Amir said. “The Americans are our enemies, not our friends. Maliki is an agent of the Americans. “
Not to worry though… the beacon of journalistik integrity has got the story covered.
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces fanned out into the suburbs and ports of Basra on Wednesday, as life in that southern city slowly began to return to normal, with government offices reopening and residents venturing more confidently into the streets.
Witnesses said that Iraqi forces now controlled central Basra and its northern border, and that they had begun moving into militia strongholds north of the city.
But sporadic violence continued three days after the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army to stop its armed resistance to the American-supported Iraqi assault, and demanded concessions from the government in return.
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