Friends in High Places

Today msnbc.com posted this article. (credit: msnbc.com) It is basically saying that Al-Maliki yelled at the US for raiding a house in Sadr City while attempting to apprehend a known militia leader, who was known for criminal activity. A leader of a 'death squad', this person most likely was not just responsible for Coalition deaths, but the deaths of rival Shi'a militias, and civilians.

Stories like this, and an earlier one where US forces were forced to release someone who they knew had killed troops because of a phone call from Muqtada to Maliki, make me feel so angry for the handicap that our soldiers are going through. It also makes me feel for the countless other deaths by this guys hands that could have been prevented by his capture.

Al-Sadr is a major factor in Iraq, with the largest militia (albeit one that is splintering into factions), and 30 seats in their parliament. In one hand he shoots at whoever gets in his way, and in the other he holds the ear of the Prime Minister.

Someone who sponsors a militia shouldn't be allowed to take part in the government. David Koresh wouldn't be elected Senator. How can people expect to have peace when we aren't even allowed to do our jobs? Indirectly we are helping the Shi'a militias by only arresting the Sunni that we get ahold of....when we take care of all of them, who's left?

If Al-Maliki won't step up and take control of Sadr or disarm his militias, then we need to step up and just do it. If Maliki is not interested enough in the safety of his people that he will allow known murderers to go free, someone needs to take his place. If Maliki won't allow America to do our job and thinks he can do it better, he needs to ask us to leave. Unity is just that, unity. He can't propose a new "unity initiative" when he favors one sect over another.

I don't think that Muqtada Al-Sadr's vision of Iraq is the vision of the Iraqi people, the hardcore Shi'a are the ones who are forcing girls to wear headscarves in a country where they used to be allowed to wear jeans. There is no place in a free democracy for someone who is going to impose his will on people's freedom to choose.