Thousands March In Baghdad Against U.S. Pact

[gonerail]

Saturday, Oct 18, 2008

Thousands of followers of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Saturday in a demonstration against a pact that would allow U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three more years.

Marchers waved Iraqi flags and chanted “Yes, yes Iraq! No, no to the occupation!”

A white-turbaned cleric read out what he described as a letter from Sadr calling on parliament to vote down the pact.

“I reject and condemn the continuation of the presence of the occupation force, and its bases on our beloved land,” the letter said, calling the pact “shameful for Iraq.”

Demonstrators set fire to a U.S. flag, but the atmosphere appeared mostly calm.

“It is a peaceful demonstration, demanding that the occupier leave and the government not sign the pact,” Ahmed al-Masoudi, a Sadrist member of parliament, told Reuters.

Iraqi authorities said the demonstration was authorized and security had been increased to protect the protesters, who were marching from Sadr’s stronghold of Sadr City in the east of the capital to a nearby public square at a university.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world...=1&oref=slogin

Iraq - Bushes Folly -

[Dumbfounded]

Saturday, Oct 18, 2008

Thousands of followers of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Saturday in a demonstration against a pact that would allow U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three more years.

Marchers waved Iraqi flags and chanted “Yes, yes Iraq! No, no to the occupation!”

A white-turbaned cleric read out what he described as a letter from Sadr calling on parliament to vote down the pact.

“I reject and condemn the continuation of the presence of the occupation force, and its bases on our beloved land,” the letter said, calling the pact “shameful for Iraq.”

Demonstrators set fire to a U.S. flag, but the atmosphere appeared mostly calm.

“It is a peaceful demonstration, demanding that the occupier leave and the government not sign the pact,” Ahmed al-Masoudi, a Sadrist member of parliament, told Reuters.

Iraqi authorities said the demonstration was authorized and security had been increased to protect the protesters, who were marching from Sadr’s stronghold of Sadr City in the east of the capital to a nearby public square at a university.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world...=1&oref=slogin

Iraq - Bushes Folly -

How DARE they protest the gifts the United States has bestowed upon them, wretched barbaric peasants!

Mein gott! Ve brought Iraq democracy, a thriving economy, a better infrastructure, freedom, safety, NO displaced civillians as a result of the our ILLEGAL occupation, NO torture contrary to those pesky photos, videos and documented rumors (OXY M)!

If these irate Iraqis want America & its allies OUT of Iraq, then we should leave that barren wasteland with its citizens and as the last soldier boards the plane back home, they can yell,
"Your loss, Iraq! You folks don't know a good thing when you have one!"

Thought we were GOING to have a withdrawl according to Bush-Oh! Nuts!
Forgot that Bush laughed his @ss off at Al Maliki's request for us to leave!

[WNYresident]

So why are we waiting? When do we stop spending money and bring everyone home?

[Surfing USA]

If Obama is elected and pulls our troops out of Iraq, I wonder how he'll react to Iran's impending takeover of Iraq.

Will he send our troops back?

What will "the chosen one's" supporters think of him when it costs us several more lives and trillions of dollars to clean-up a mess that could have been prevented in the first place by maintaining a presence there?

[gonerail]

If Obama is elected and pulls our troops out of Iraq, I wonder how he'll react to Iran's impending takeover of Iraq.

Will he send our troops back?

What will "the chosen one's" supporters think of him when it costs us several more lives and trillions of dollars to clean-up a mess that could have been prevented in the first place by maintaining a presence there?

We are to deep into the Mid-East now thanks to Bush and the NeoCons and no President or Congress can or will back out anytime soon. Just me talking mind you !!
Don't sweat the small stuff