US troops raid Sadr Office

This is liable to cause trouble. It does not sound as if there were any provocation from Sadr's supporters inside. Note that the report mentions only US troops. This may have been done without any co-ordination or authorisation from the Iraqi govt. Not only is the US causing problems for Maliki it will cause difficulties for itself. Perhaps it want's a confrontation in Sadr City to show who is supposed to be boss but that could be a grave error. It would only show who was boss in the short term. This report is from a Kuwaiti news source.


US forces storms Sadr''s office, arrest those inside

Military and Secuity 4/29/2007 8:46:00 PM



BAGHDAD, April 29 (KUNA) -- Armed clashes broke out in Kadhmiya district in northern Baghdad Sunday after an American force stormed Shiitte cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr's office and arrested some of the people inside.
A source at the Iraqi police told KUNA US forces exchanged fire shots with the guards of Al-Sadr's office. He said the guards resisted the American troops.
American army vehicles surrounded the office and the forces started shooting at it then stormed it and arrested the people inside, said the source.
Locals at Khadmiya and eyewitnesses said the exchange of fire lasted for some an hour.
They reported that warnings, through loud speakers of mosques, to the citizens that the American forces were surrounding Al-Sadr's office. (end) mhg.bs KUNA 292046 Apr 07NNNN