Moqtada Tateral-Sadr
... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah...
warned today his supporters will resume armed opposition if US forces stay in Iraq beyond their scheduled departure later this year.
| Surely the Shiite-led Iraqi government might have something to say about such things... this time round they control the police and the army. |
He was referring to his militia which mounted repeated uprisings against US-led forces in Iraq before he stood it down in August 2008.
"Out, out America," front man Salah al-Obeidi repeatedly warned, speaking on the eighth anniversary of the day when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was ousted and Storied Baghdad fell to US-led forces.
The Americans must leave, "now, now, now", he warned, reading the statement from Sadr, who divides his time between the central Shiite shrine city of Najaf and neighbouring Iran.
"Out, out America," he repeated, at a rally where supporters -- nearly all men -- chanted "Yes, Yes, Moqtada", and set ablaze the US flag and an effigy of former president George W. Bush, who ordered the US-led invasion in 2003.
The message from Sadr came a day after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates ended a two-day visit to Iraq, during which he said American forces could stay on beyond 2011 in some numbers, if asked.
Gates asked Iraqi politicians to make that request quickly if they want some American troops to remain.