Seriously, what in the hell took so long?
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi commander of the Baghdad security crackdown announced Tuesday that Iraq will close its borders with Syria and Iran and ordered the return of unlawfully seized homes, as part of the drive to end the violence that has threatened to divide the capital along sectarian lines.
Ahead of the crackdown, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr fled Iraq for Iran some weeks ago and is believed to be in Tehren where he has family, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.
I was talking about needing to do this with a coworker who is probably going to be redeployed with his Army MP's unit, and he was saying how hard this would be, due to the lack of communication to so many of the folks who, well, live out in the desert. But, it is a start, one that should have been done 3 years ago.
Meanwhile, Tim has more posted at Opinion Bug and The Jawa Report on Sadr fleeing. The AP is reporting, breathlessly,
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr said Wednesday that the radical Shiite cleric was still in Iraq, denying a report that he fled to Iran ahead of a security crackdown targeting his militia.
An official in al-Sadr's main office in Najaf also said the cleric had decided not to appear publicly during the current month of Muharam, one of four holy months in the Islamic calendar.
If he is in Iraq, he needs either arrestin' or a killin'.
