As Sadr Threatens Full-Scale War, McCain Says He Is ‘Rather Pleased’
As Sadr Threatens Full-Scale War, McCain Says He Is ‘Rather Pleased’
The AP reports today that as a result of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s recent offensive against Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia, Sadr may “set aside his political ambitions” and restart “a full-scale fight against U.S.-led forces.” The violence would likely show “potentially disastrous security implications” across the country.
But Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is happy with the outcome. In a blogger conference call today, he said the results in Basra and southern Iraq were a “pleasant turn of events” in his view. Sadr, McCain says, is now marginalized. The bloggers reported on McCain’s responses:
Hot Air: It’s a “pleasant turn of events.” We’ve been pressing Maliki for action, and he persevered through some setbacks to success. Basra now is under Maliki’s control, and it has united the central government. Sadr is marginalized. “Overall, I’m rather pleased.”
Commentary: He described the outcome as a “pleasant turn of events” and said that Prime Minister Maliki “surprised us all.” McCain conceded that there were setbacks at first, but said that with limited American support the Iraqi army has wrested control of Basra from the Sadrites.
Sadr is hardly marginalized; in fact, the opposite is likely true. As the AP notes, Sadr still commands at least 60,000 fighters — “5,000 thought to be highly trained commandos” — and he is “emboldened by its strong resistance to an Iraqi-led crackdown.”
It’s unclear what McCain is “rather pleased” about. Contrary to the “limited” role McCain saw, U.S. soldiers on the ground reported they bore the brunt of the responsibility when assisting Iraqi forces. Some estimates say roughly 400 civilians have been killed, including several Americans soldiers dying in the Green Zone.
Tony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies explained that Sadr’s bloc will remain a formidable force in Iraq:
[Sadr's militia] will be a major political force in any future elections regardless of whether Sadr survives, Sadrists are allowed to run, or the elections are fair or partly rigged. No one in Iraq goes quietly into that great night.
McCain has repeatedly misstated the outcome of the events in southern Iraq, for example, falsely claiming that Sadr “declared the ceasefire.” But, as he admitted last week when lauding the operation against Sadr, “Maybe I’m digging for the pony here.”
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When Clinton finally surrenders to the inevitable, perhaps the media will have to cover their darling McCain and his insane and contradictory comments.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:51 pmWhat exactly does “Digging for the Pony” mean?
April 25th, 2008 at 6:55 pmMcCain believes Iraq needs an enema and he’s the Astroglide.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:55 pmHe’s only a sock puppet folks and doesn’t even have sense enough to ask the Wiz for a brain!
April 25th, 2008 at 7:03 pmmiatch, it’s the punch line to an old joke, it means you’re digging through a pile of horse manure, expecting to find the pony under the pile.
John Sidney McCain III is certainly digging in the pile of horse manure, and that’s why the big smile on his face. It’s an all he can eat sorta deal.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:04 pmBRING ‘EM ON.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:06 pmlike a large rash on a ho…
Encyclopedia Britannica could use some real scholarship in next year’s edition. Mind if they quote you?
April 25th, 2008 at 7:16 pmWho are the bloggers included in the conference call? I see Hota ir identified, was HuffPo there? TP,? Media Matters? Ammerica Blog? My DD? Daily Kos? Salon? Firedoglake? NewsHogger? Pharyngyula? Cliff Schecter? Blue Gal? Digby? etc.?
I’m guessing not. Now WHY MIGHT THAT BE? HMMMM???
April 25th, 2008 at 7:30 pmDoes McClown ever say anything coherent?
April 25th, 2008 at 7:40 pmOf course he’s pleased – it means more war– oops– occupation.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pmLet’s see…Educated, but still became a Naval Officer. Flew cowardly sorties bombing people he couldn’t see: No conscience + borderline personality disorder. Tortured by the N. Viets: Most likely psychologically damaged to the point of insanity. Yep, I’d vote for him: Not. (And I’m a Viet Nam vet. who knows that that war–oops–occupation was wrong.) Oil and war, good for big business and Johnny boys’ cronies.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:28 pmjack alexander Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Thanks for your service, Jack. And your enlightened point of view!
April 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pmWar is his viagra.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:52 pmMcCain should be especially pleased by this then.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042501480_pf.html
He may get his wish of 100 years of war.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:30 pmKilo Says:
Is it now the AP, Reuters and McCain being misleading for political reasons when they contradict how TP portrays the political situation in Iraq, or is there a more likely explanation ?
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Is there anyone here tonight who can translate gibberish?
Kilo, when people who drink talk about “getting smashed”, it’s just a figure of speech. They don’t physically take a six pack of beer, say, oh, Foster’s, and beat themselves over the head with it.
If you keep this up much longer, you just might cause some serious brain damage. okay… too late to do anything about that… and if you can’t quit, for God’s sake man, wear a helmet!!!!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:35 pmWow. The kilotroll sure frightens easily these days.
G’night good people.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:09 amYou too trolls.
One would think that even just plain old self-esteem would at some point stop you continually declaring to everyone that you can understand nothing written here, but apparently not.
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And many do find it both sad and amusing that no matter how many times you get told you don’t make any sense, you just bluster on, huffing and puffing, and making a complete Cheney of yerself.
Please… some more… AMUSE us w/ your… ***cough*** “expertise”, you worthless, incapable GINORMOUS pissant…
One last question… do you really think anyone is intimidated by the bluster?
Really?????????
April 26th, 2008 at 12:36 amKilo,
If McCain is right here, how do you reconcile the quote below that says Maliki is in control of Basra?
McCain as quoted above”
“We’ve been pressing Maliki for action, and he persevered through some setbacks to success. Basra now is under Maliki’s control, and it has united the central government. Sadr is marginalized.
From the link providedin the article:
April 26th, 2008 at 1:23 am“Mahdi militiamen also fought Iraqi security forces to a virtual standstill last month in Basra before an Iranian-supervised truce.”
I guess Think Progess missed this news out of Iraq?
April 26th, 2008 at 2:01 am
The planet hasn’t stopped spinning just to serve TP’s talking points.
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And neither has Kilo’s head.
Lay off the Foster’s, dude. It’s affecting you more than you realize.
April 26th, 2008 at 3:33 am#24 thirdparty
Something need to pass the smell test before being accepted as news rather than propaganda.
Baghdad was formerly 60% Sunni but is now 70% Shia. That tells you who the victims are. It doesn’t tell how it became that way. Since the Madhi Army has simply consolidated power in and around Sadr City it means that most of that ethnic cleansing came at the hands of the Badr Brigrade that is supported by both the Americans and the Maliki government.
Why would Sunni leaders now want to get in bed with those most responsible for the ethnic cleansing? It just doesn’t pass the smell test.
April 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pmOf course Bush Lite is pleased. A reason to continue his fearmongering to get elected and hey at least four more years to throw money and lives away. Maybe he can completely destroy our economy.
April 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pmJust getting up in the morning makes McCain ‘Rather Pleased.’
April 26th, 2008 at 7:44 pmPerhaps you should have read the article, and you might find the answer to your question. I think there’s a recognition that the only way to save Iraq is for the sides to reconcile, and so Sunni and Shi’a leaders are, in some respect, coming together. Why would the Shi’a-dominated government pass an amnesty law based on your logic? Well, they did, it was applauded by Sunnis, and it has to pass the smell test since we know it happened. Think this through.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:38 am“little dopey” is getting ready to break the broken.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:13 am