Tippity, Tappity, Tap
The old jihadi soft shoe shuffle continues. Spokesmen for the Iraqi government are today confirming what they were busily denying just yesterday. Mookie al Sadr is hiding like a scared little child making a visit to Iran. Brave jihadi leaders are big on sending others to heaven, not so keen on visiting it themselves.
Sami al-Askari said al-Sadr traveled to Iran by land "a few days ago," but gave no further details on how long he would stay in Iran. A member of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals, said al-Sadr left three weeks ago.
"I confirm that Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iran on a visit," said al-Askari. "But I deny that his visit is a flight."
But another lawmaker loyal to al-Sadr, Saleh al-Ukaili, insisted that al-Sadr is in Iraq and claimed the accounts of his departure were part of a "campaign by the U.S. military" to track down the elusive cleric.
Conflicting reports on al-Sadr's whereabouts have been exchanged for days.
U.S. and Iraqi forces have increased pressure on backers of the anti-American cleric and other militants in a major security operation that began in force this week.
The chief U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said al-Sadr "is not in the country" and that "all indications are, in fact, that he is in Iran." Al-Sadr's supporters have insisted he was still in Iraq.
Of course this was just a little vacation. Brave jihadis like Mookie would never rabbit from their enemies according to their spokesmen. They just set land speed records with their brisk walks.
By kim, February 15, 2007 @ 11:56 am
In Sistani We Trust.
And Chalabi is the Master of the Bazaar.
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