Sadr Vows to Resist Continued US Presence in Iraq

Contractors Mean US Occupation Will Continue in Iraq

In comments today with al-Arabiya Television key Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced that he would continue resisting any US presence inside Iraq after the year-end deadline, even if the US military itself completes its pullout.

The American occupation will stay in Iraq under different names,” Sadr said, pointing to the massive number of private contractors the US State Department is hiring for its “private army,” a force in excess of 10,000.

“If they stay in Iraq, through a military or non-military presence, we will consider them an occupation and we will resist them whatever the price will be,” warned Sadr. The forces are expected to be used in combat around the nation.

And this is only a small portion of the US “remnant” force in Iraq, which will also include a massive number of combat troops stationed in neighboring Kuwait, poised to attack targets inside Iraq at a moment’s notice.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.