Where's Waldo, er Al-Sadr, er Bin Ladin?

The AP's Qassim Abdul-Zahra reports that Maj. General William Caldwell stated that U.S. Military intelligence (excuse the oxymoron) that Muqtada al-Sadr has left Iraq and is presently in Iran. Iraqi government officials linked to al-Sadr deny that he has left Iraq. The AP article quotes Iraqi lawmaker Nassir al-Rubaie saying, " The news is not accurate because al-Sadr is still in Iraq.."

It would not be unusual for al-Sadr to visit Iraq, he has family there and ties to other Shia leaders, but the fact that anonymous  U.S. sources have him in Iran indicates that they really do not know where he currently is. The fact that two key members of al-Sadr's political and military organization have been recently gunned down, has caused al-Sadr to sleep in different places each night.

I have a suggestion for finding him, look for the guy with the black turbin and shifty eyes! This situation brings back the to the front burner that we still do not know where Bin Ladin is, and apparently we no longer care where he is. While the surge in Iraq is now underway, the situation in Afganistan continues to unravel and deteriorate.

I also suggest that the U.S. military asks good buddy Nouri al-Maliki where al-Sadr is, after all he must know where his biggest backer is located. Come on guys, we have 150,000 troops in Iraq and we still cannot definitely know where the most powerful person in country is?

I do have a touch of sympathy for our intelligence operations, after all, I could never find that damn Waldo in the maze of colors.

•  tips?

  by Russ Jarmusch on Wed Feb 14, 2007 at 08:13:57 AM PDT

  •  ...he's probably...

    ..just on a shopping trip.  The markets in Baghdad are getting a little...messy.  He also may be consulting an architect about the President of the Islamic Republic of Iraq palace and HQ he'll likely occupy once we've redeployed.  

    by sandmancan on Wed Feb 14, 2007 at 08:31:45 AM PDT