04 December 2011
BAGHDAD - For years, the Sadrist, a radical Shiite party led my even more radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Now that the U.S. finally leave the country, the Sadrist criticize that U.S. and Iraqi officials celebrated the withdrawal.
On Thursday, U.S. Vice Presdient Joe Biden, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended a ceremony in Camp Victory, once the largest of more than 500 U.S. bases in Iraq, which was handed over to Iraqi authorities last week.
"Such a designation for the ceremony and participation in it is regarded as an offense and ignorance of feelings of millions of Iraqi people," Maha al-Duri, a Sadrist official, said.
The celebration of the U.S. forces withdrawal from Iraq is an "offense to the blood" of Iraqis who were persecuted by the "occupants", Duri said during a conference in the headquarters of the Sadrists. She added the government should celebrate the release of those who stood against the occupation and regard this as a victory not "the blessing of the occupiers."
The question is now what the Sadrist will have to criticize once the Americans are gone.
BAGHDAD - For years, the Sadrist, a radical Shiite party led my even more radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Now that the U.S. finally leave the country, the Sadrist criticize that U.S. and Iraqi officials celebrated the withdrawal.
On Thursday, U.S. Vice Presdient Joe Biden, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended a ceremony in Camp Victory, once the largest of more than 500 U.S. bases in Iraq, which was handed over to Iraqi authorities last week.
"Such a designation for the ceremony and participation in it is regarded as an offense and ignorance of feelings of millions of Iraqi people," Maha al-Duri, a Sadrist official, said.
The celebration of the U.S. forces withdrawal from Iraq is an "offense to the blood" of Iraqis who were persecuted by the "occupants", Duri said during a conference in the headquarters of the Sadrists. She added the government should celebrate the release of those who stood against the occupation and regard this as a victory not "the blessing of the occupiers."
The question is now what the Sadrist will have to criticize once the Americans are gone.
© AK News 2011
