No conspircacy here. Sadr is back in Iraq (inciting his followers against the US and the existing govt) because he was becoming irrelevant hiding in Iran. A story about US troop reductions has been "leaked" almost quarterly since 2004, probably to keep hope alive that the US will get out eventually.

We whacked the guys he fed us.

Note also the leak three days ago that Malaki is preparing for a substantial U.S. withdrawal.

The most amusing aspect of all this (to moi) is the implicit assumption of the anti-war cult that Bush/Cheney intended for Iraq to be a vassal state in perpetuity.

Sheesh, it was only a few months ago that Bush was being slammed because his proposed budget included considerably reduced spending on Iraq in 2009 and beyond, indicating a drawdown during 2008.

Does the media ever get tired of being shocked that President Bush is "reversing course" by doing exactly what he's consistently claimed that he would do, rather than what the conventional wisdom assumed that he "really meant" when they discounted his words?

I think AWW is probably closer to the truth. Despite OJ's regular cheerleading, I fail to see any evidence that Mookie is a democrat or on our side in any way. E.g.: what's the point of his recent denunciation (again) of the US, Jews, and Israel? How about a nice speech to his followers along the lines of: "The time for blaming outsiders for our troubles is over. Let's lay down our arms, get back to work, clean up the streets, and support the elected government and the police and the army." That's what a real democrat and friend of the US would say.

Oh, and the fact that he fed us guys to whack in no way proves he's a friend, just that he's Machiavellian.

Pap:

He wants power. He's no different than Rightwingers denouncing immigrants for purely political reasons (indeed, those immigrants used to be Jews). Red meat is useful to populists.

If it's the same thing, then why do you criticize conservatives who denounce illegals but not Shiites who denounce Jews? There are a lot more illegals committing crimes in the US than there are Jews bothering anyone in Iraq. Mookie has plenty of other things he could use as red meat for his ignorant followers.

Obviously he wants power. But democracy? Still no evidence of that.

Mookie wants to be Pope - without any theological basis, just because he has the biggest army. But he is a bully and a coward - he didn't return until after Hakim went for treatment. Put a bullet through his turban and things in Iraq will improve dramatically. Let the theologians pick Sistani's successor, not the street gangs.

He left when we asked him to and came back when we were done. He's a punk, but a useful one.

Mookie is being childlike when he denounces Jews. You're childlike in your politics too. He's a member of an immature sociey. You don't have that excuse.

"Childlike" is the wrong word to use. Nobody in that part of the world is being childlike in demonizing Jews. For example, is Ahmadinejad? Was Sheikh Yassin? Is Nasrallah? Neither was Meir Kahane childlike when he demonized his 'enemies'.

We're done?

We've raided Sadr City twice in the past two days, and the Brits raided the Mahdi Army today, killing four when the suspects they wanted wouldn't surrender.

We're done?

Mop up to make sure he's safe.

Yes, Mahmoud is childish. He can't actually do anything about Christians and Jews, just grooves on the tantrum.