Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has told his loyalist Cabinet members to resign. Most would say it is a push for more pressure on America to withdraw it's occupying forces. The move coincides with the lack of real progress (read: worsening conditions) from the clusterfuck that is the new U.S. led security/surge plan for Baghdad. This move of Muqtada only affects the 6 Cabinet members and not the 30 seats of parliament (seems strange to me, maybe the 30 others will follow).
** As an aside, this is my first diary ever at DKOS after a fairly long stint of comment-only visitation -- so play nice will ya. **
More here
San Francisco Chronicle
CBS
I didn't see anyone posting a diary on this, and I definitely think it is noteworthy. It is just one of the signals of the shifting of powers in the middle east, where the US is becoming more and more bogged down everyday.
It appears quite obvious to me that Iraq is becoming compartmentalized along sectarian enclaves. The Turkish will probably soon intervene more prominently in the North while the Saudis and Iranians look to strike a balance in the forming power vacuum.
These are violent days in Baghdad, with some 300 people dying on Saturday according to Democracy Now. The scandals at home here in America and the constantly eroding situation for the Bush Administration are the makings for a crucial time with respect to what the consequences of this Sadr power trick will be.
My personal take on this is still a bit mixed; I'll try to update this today with more content, perhaps dictated by the discussion below. For now, I can only say I feel so helpless and saddened for all the suffering people of Iraq (especially Baghdad) wronged by all this violence when all they want is to live their lives in some relative peace and ease. Our thoughts are with you.
UPDATE: meanwhile...
from Monsters and Critics
Thousands of followers of al-Sadr, meanwhile, demonstrated in Basra, 550 kilometres south of Baghdad, Monday to demand the dismissal of the city governor just hours after al-Sadr announced that his ministers planned to resign.
Hundreds of protestors surrounded the council building, chanting slogans against the governor, the independent news agency Voices of Iraq reported.
looks like someone got the memo...
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UPDATE: Good diary here link with a take from WaPo.
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