Ceasefire agreement doesn’t cease fire

The Mahdi Army signed a ceasefire agreement yesterday that promised the Iraqi government access to Sadr City if they promised not to send in US troops, but according to The Washington Times, the Sadrists aren’t keeping their word;

“It doesn’t look like a cease-fire to me,” said Maj. Kyle Ferger, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment. “Just last night there were more than a dozen [incidents] along the wall.” The wall, made of 12-foot-high concrete slabs, was begun in mid-April to block Shi’ite extremists from infiltrating the two neighborhoods using cross streets along al-Quds to fire rockets at the Green Zone, the seat of the Iraqi government, U.S. military and diplomatic headquarters. Citizens can still travel between the southern and northern sections of Sadr City, but would have to use three main roads where Iraqi soldiers search vehicles for weapons and munitions.

The BBC corroborates the story;

 Lt Col Steven Stover blamed what he called “special groups” for provoking Monday’s clashes, saying: “They are obviously not listening to any agreement.”

Tens of thousands of gunmen profess allegiance to Moqtada Sadr and his Mehdi army, but it is unclear how much influence he has over them, and over splinter groups.

The fighting in Sadr City followed the launching of a government crackdown on Shia militias in the southern city of Basra in late March.

LT Nixon, in the theater, warns;

Media will most likely spin this to make the U.S. forces look like the aggressor in some “purge” campaign. In reality, we’re just shooting back.

Mostly because these thugs aren’t familiar with the term “ceasefire”. I remember a battalion of the 24th Division taking on an Iraqi Republican Guard Division three days after the ceasefire in 1991 after the 24th Division took fire from the Iraqis. The only thing they understand is “dead”.

Category: Terror War