Iraqi Shi’ite Tells Followers To Target U.S. Troops Fighting ISIS
Are American troops deployed to Iraq to combat ISIS control at risk of being targeted by other Middle Eastern radicals and extremists? According to a Reuters report, that’s exactly how things are looking.
On Sunday, a notorious Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, advised his followers to “target U.S. troops deploying to Iraq as part of the military campaign against Islamic State.”
His intentions were confirmed when a follower questioned his message on his webpage – Sadr simply respoused, “They are a target for us.”
Antichrist Watch – Muqtada al-Sadr rises in IRAQ. https://t.co/nY9DIRy292
— Richard H. Perry (@richardperry2) July 17, 2016
The instructions came days after the U.S. Defense Secretary, Ash Carter, stated that the Pentagon will send 560 more troops to aid Iraqi forces who are working to regain control of the northern city of Mosul later this year. This brings the total to nearly 4,500 U.S. military members. President Barack Obama made the decision to help the country reconstruct the al-Qayyarah military base and support Mosul’s liberation operation months ago.
In a CBS News interview earlier this year, the U.S. President stated American troops would help Iraq and hopefully end ISIS control by the latter part of 2016.
“As we see the Iraqis willing to fight and gaining ground, let’s make sure that we are providing them more support. We’re not doing the fighting ourselves, but when we provide training, when we provide special forces who are backing them up, when we are gaining intelligence — working with the coalitions that we have — what we’ve seen is that we can continually tighten the noose. My expectation is that by the end of the year, we will have created the conditions whereby Mosul will eventually fall.”
ISIS members have had control of the area since June 2014, when Iraqi troops fled the area, leaving behind U.S. weaponry that the terrorist organization continues to use.
IRAQ: Prominent Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called on his followers to target US troops fighting #ISIS.https://t.co/OhQAHRssRT
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) July 17, 2016
The Iraqi Shi’ite has tens of thousands of followers and gained notoriety after leading the Mahdi Army’s fight against U.S. troops in 2003. The American military forces invaded the area to kill dictator, Saddam Hussein. After the battle, Sadr’s Army was disbanded, but security in the country declined; that’s when he and several other militant groups rose in power throughout the area. In 2008, he reconvened his group, calling them the Peace Brigades. The group has fought and killed both U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.
Iraq on edge: Thousands protest in #Baghdad against Iraqi gov. Iraqi cleric Muqtada Sadr delivers speech @K24English pic.twitter.com/h5opRO0BDF
— Ahmadiyya Times (@AhmadiyyaTimes) July 15, 2016
Besides causing problems for U.S. troops attempting to help the Iraqi military, Sadr has been busy leading protests — including two demonstrations this year where protesters stormed Baghdad‘s heavily guarded Green Zone government.
During the rally, the group of men, primarily in their 20’s, held Iraqi flags and chanted,”Uproot them, they are all thieves.” Al-Sadr also attended, but cut his speech short when the crowd threatened a stampede.
The group thwarted parliament efforts for weeks.
Since gaining his numerous followers, Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Sadr has been mentioned in TIME Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people on the planet. The question remains whether he and his massive following will fizzle out or continue to grow?
[Photo via AP Images | Hadi Mizban]
