09 April 2007

The Evaporating Base of Sadr

Thanks to Curt at Flopping Aces and his report on Muqty!

So the big old scare headlines are back from AP! Yes, tens of thousands of supporters for Muqtada al Sadr parroting whatever he wants them to say. Ok so they get the numbers a bit over inflated and it is only about 5,000 to 7,000 as CNN reports.

Impressive though, isn't it? I mean all those brave and lonely Shia extremist death squad supporters wanting the U.S. out of Iraq? Has to mean something, right?

Unfortunately poor folks have problems with any memory whatsoever, so let me dredge up just a bit on the *last* really big rally Muqty had in his neighborhood. That was in 2005 when he was able to get 100,000 folks to show up for the old sit down and be enraptured at the speaker deal. So impressive, right? Well, here is what we get from Iraq The Model at the time:

After all, popularity polls do not necessarily reflect the truth and today's demonstration indicates that as well; see, instead of the million figure that Sadr was aspiring to see in Baghdad and out of supposedly 2 million Shia residents of Sadr city only 100 000 showed up and that's only after Sadr summoned demonstrators from the southern provinces and sent busses to fetch them and let's not forget that the demonstration took place in Sadr's own stronghold where it's supposed to take no effort from supporters to show up and march; technically they were asked to march in their own front yard.
So, fast forward to that same front yard today and you see... 5-7,000?

Why, where have all of al Sadr's supporters gone?

Somehow I think Muqtada al Sadr has run out of a bit of steam.

7 comments:

davecatbone said...

Frustrated with the Enemedia playing Mookie's hand for him. Just like trumping up all the attacks in Iraq, ignoring the successes. Same old same old, glad you're watching. Petraeus can win this.

A Jacksonian said...

dave - Extremely frustrating, to say the least. This is now street theater, not even real demonstrations... but the MSM can only play up on something that is *there* and I have that feeling that if the Sadrites try to do anything, then in a few weeks they will no longer be *there*. And if they don't, then they will have lost their final street cred and be a laughingstock. Either way, the idea of 'just holding on' is no longer working for the Sadr extremists or al Qaeda out in Anbar. That is leaving only the Qods from Iran and their paid for thugs... one of the larger criminal gangs by then, but not a 'force' really.

People forget that the US is the best counter-puncher on the planet, bar none. You get your free shots, and then you get what is coming to you.

Our job is to *not* let naysayers off of any hooks and to ensure they get put home. This negativism must stop or we will all hang separately.

Thank you for dropping by!

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

I say old bean, you might be on to something there!

BZ

A Jacksonian said...

Mr. Z - Just possibly... I know it is *pure* supposition on my part! Yes indeedy such die hard supporters just don't disappear... unless, of course, they have been dying hard.

Hard to know until the place is quieted down a bit and the unmarked graves get searched.

SERENDIP said...

I think the whole thing was ordered by Iran because they are angry over the Irbil-5 not being released as they might have been promised as a quid pro quo for the release of British Hostages.

Guess where Queen Pelos is going next?

SERENDIP said...

should read Pelosi

A Jacksonian said...

Serendip - Read about her next scheduled stop on the Appeasement Tour. I am not pleased that low expectations have not been exceeded.