Muqtada al-Toast

Iraqis are apparently excited at the possibility that we're clearing the decks to finish off Iraq's most annoying cleric. From Iraq the Model:

It seems that it’s time at last! I hope they get Muqtada this time and also all his deputies. People here are not only disgusted and upset with this gang but also most of them showed extreme anger and some of them went as far as condemning Islam and even the Mahdi himself!! I don’t agree of course with that, as Muqtada has nothing to do with Islam.

A She’at taxi driver told me, “ Why are we doing this!? Why among all religions we commit such horrible crimes?? If this is Islam then s**t on it and on Mahdi himself, we don’t want this! They went as far as attacking peaceful churches and I really don’t understand why! This is not the Islam we were raised to believe in, the Islam of peace and tolerance. I wish I could see this idiot dead.”

Hope springs eternal.

I have to note that I think that the Coalition has handled the al Sadr matter pretty well. By showing patience, and exercising its power with discretion, the Coalition has allowed al Sadr to hang himself on the gallows of Iraqi public opinion, such that now there seems to be an increasing groundswell of popular sentiment in favor of getting rid of him once and for all.

Go Marines.

UPDATE: Sam has lots of trenchant observations on Iran's meddling in Iraq's affairs as well as UN perfidy. Just keep scrolling. He ends with this interesting point about a certain upcoming presidential election:

On the other hand John Kerry announced that he will be able to reduce the US army significantly in Iraq in 12 months! Kerry seems to be very short sighted because he hasn't said how he is going to achieve that and he is not a good field leader. Yes; we as Iraqis would like to see the American soldiers going back to their country but on the same time there should be sufficient Iraqi forces to keep the country intact and protected against the evil ambition of the others. Kerry may if elected handover power in Iraq to Al-Qaeda and its thugs or Iran and its agents before he escape!

That's about the size of it.