What $250 Billion Buys These Days

Let us look at the history of the Iraqi Prime Minister. He is called a moderate Shia, but he won his position by courting the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (London Telegraph, Jun 2, 2005:


A leading contender to become Iraq's new prime minister has offered to welcome Moqtadr al-Sadr, the demagogic Shia cleric behind bloody uprisings against coalition forces, into a new government expanded to include those who boycotted the election.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a moderate Shia whose United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) list is certain to top last weekend's poll, told The Telegraph that Sadr, wanted for alleged involvement in the hacking to death of a fellow cleric, was "a good person" who could play a constructive role in the new Iraq.


But, Moqtada al-Sadr is not merely wanted for the gruesome crime of hacking another cleric to death. No.

He is a self-appointed general in the war against America. He is a terrorist. He is the leader of the Mahdi Army:


On 18 July 2003 al-Sadr used a Friday sermon in Al-Najaf to denounce as "puppets" the members of Iraq's new U.S.-appointed Governing Council. He also announced his own plans to form a militia. Al-Sadr announced his new government during his sermon at Friday prayers in Al-Kufah on 10 October 2003. Muqtada al-Sadr announced his intention to form an Islamic state in Iraq by establishing a shadow government there, complete with ministries. Fighting broke out in Karbala on 13 October 2003 when al-Sadr's men attacked supporters of moderate Shi'ite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani near the Imam Hussein shrine.

The cleric challenged coalition forces after they closed his "Al-Hawzah" newspaper on charges of incitement and arrested an al-Sadr aide on charges relating to the al-Khoi killing. The situation escalated when it was revealed that an Iraqi judge had also issued a warrant for al-Sadr's arrest in al-Khoi's assassination outside the Imam Ali Mosque in Al-Najaf.

Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) spokesman Dan Senor publicly revealed 05 April 2004 that an Iraqi judge has issued an arrest warrant for Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in connection with the 10 April 2003 murder of Shi'ite Grand Ayatollah Abd al-Majid al-Khoi at a mosque in Najaf. Senor also announced that Iraqi police had arrested Mustafa al-Yacoubi in connection with the same murder of Ayatollah Abdul Majid al-Khoei and one of his aides.


His Mahdi Army is affiliated with, and supported by Iran, and he fought directly with U.S. Troops in the city of Najaf:


Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani praised al-Sadr's recent actions as "heroic" during his Friday prayer sermon in Tehran on 9 April. "Contrary to these terrorist groups in Iraq, there are powerful bodies which contribute to the security of that nation...among them is the Mahdi Army, made up of enthusiastic, heroic young people," Reuters quoted Rafsanjani as saying. However, Iranian Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri criticized the Al-Mahdi Army in comments faxed to Reuters, saying: "Imam Mahdi would never be content to initiate disunity, division, and factionalism in his name."

On 05 August 2004 Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers in Iraq to rise up and fight US troops. The message comes as clashes broke out in at least three cities between his supporters and US and Iraqi security forces. Moqtada al-Sadr's representatives said the truce between his followers and the US military was over. By 06 August the US military estimated it has killed 300 militants in the city of Najaf in two days of fighting. Heavy fighting has also been raging in the streets of Sadr City in Baghdad, where at least 19 people have been killed over the same period. Sadr's spokesmen sent mixed messages, with one saying al-Sadr wanted to reinstate the truce, and another saying he had declared America the enemy and urged his followers to fight on.


But, the Coalition Provisional Authority granted al-Sadr a second life, and made him a hero and a Kingmaker in the process


On 07 August 2004 the interim Iraqi prime minister signed a limited amnesty law that will pardon insurgents who have committed minor crimes, but have not killed anyone. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said insurgents have 30 days to turn themselves in to Iraqi security forces to qualify for the amnesty. The prime minister offered an olive branch to Moqtada al-Sadr. Allawi gave the cleric a chance to distance himself from the actions of his followers and begin taking part in the political process. Allawi said "I have been having positive messages from Moqtada al-Sadr. That is why we don't think that the people who are committing the crimes in Najaf and elsewhere are his people. We think they are people using his name. We invite, and I invite from this platform, Moqtada al-Sadr to participate in the elections next year."


It was because of his support that the current Iraqi Prime Minister al-Jaafari was elected:


Al-Jaafari won the nomination in a February vote by Shiite lawmakers due to strong support from radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The mercurial young cleric, who heads the Mahdi Army militia, has vowed to stand behind the incumbent.

The bitter fight has heightened friction among the parties, raising the specter of deadlock ...


Which is exactly what has happened. The Iraqi government has been held up for weeks, because the Sunnis and the Kurds refuse to accept the Iranian backed al-Jaafari, and understandably so

And, look where we are at today:


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari insisted Wednesday he will be the Shiite nominee for a new term, saying it is "out of the question" that he will step down. Al-Jaafari's comments, made in a nationally televised press conference, mean the deadlock over the premiership likely will continue.

Sunni and Kurdish objections to al-Jaafari have stalled efforts to form a unity government four months after national elections.

"As a matter of principle, I think the idea of making a concession is, for me at least, out of the question," al-Jaafari said.

The prime minister said he still enjoys the support of the Shiite alliance, the dominant bloc in parliament, despite a few public calls from within for him to step aside.

Al-Jaafari has said repeatedly he was nominated democratically and parliament will decide whether to approve him.


Yes, he was nominated democratically, by fascists who hate America.

Pretty good investment in freedom, eh? Your tax dollars at work.

Of course, we don't know how this is going to turn out yet. But, we can see that, so far, it is not turning out well.

And, the biggest problem is, I don't hear an outcry from the Bush Administration. This state of affairs is not acceptable. That we would have spent all this blood, time, and money to install a Iran-supported Islamofascist government in Iraq is an offense to our troops, and to everyone who pays taxes.

Oh yes, you may say, "Pastorius, Democracy is a process. The government has checks and balances. Al-Jaafari and al-Sadr do not have unlimited power." But, it does not matter to me. The goals of these people are counter to the goals of freedom. They are counter to our principles. The only reason to fight and kill is to fight for our principles.

Would we have fought WWII to install a Joseph Goebbels clone as Chancellor in the aftermath?

What are we trying to accomplish here? Where will such a state of affairs lead?

The only good thing I can think to say of this development is that it is evidence that the Iraqi government is anything but an American puppet government.

Of course, the Left will never even admit that.