The Cleansing Of Sadr City

From Juan Cole at Informed Comment:

The Iraqi military has warned civilians to leave the vast slum of Sadr City, apparently in preparation for a massive government assault on the Mahdi Army militia based there. Since slum dwellers notoriously lack the means to leave their slums, this call seems more likely to be for the sake of appearances than a realistic expectation. When thousands are massacred in the course of a military attack on a densely packed civilian area, the authorities will be able to say that they gave fair warning. Although the US demonizes the Mahdi Army, Many Sadr City residents view it as in part a charitable organization, and they also are often grateful for the security it provides. It is not as if the federal government is providing security.

Remember the Battle of Fallujah, which began in April 2003? Two thirds of the city was laid waste, resulting in thousands of refugees, who still have not returned to their homes today, because their homes are not there. God knows how many Iraqis were killed. I Googled, but I could find no definitive number. The goal was to flush out the insurgents from the city. Apparently, the plan to rid the slums of Sadr City of Mahdi Army militia is similar.

Apparently the fractious, RPG-wielding slum dwellers are getting in the way of the planned Green Zone golf course, so they have to be removed.

You know some British colonial administrators were still planning new cricket fields in India in 1946.

This is evil, pure evil! I hate this war!