The massive demonstrations called by MOQTADA AL-SADR have the US occupation forces worried. The Bush administration and their right-wing water carriers have gone into damage control to underplay the massive turnout of Iraqi people who demanded that the US leave Iraq.
The US government have also made complete fools of themselves – again – this time over the numbers involved in the demonstrations. Rear Admiral Mark I. Fox of the US Navy seems to think that only 5000-7000 turned up for the demonstration in Najaf. He should take another look at the photographs. You don’t need to count them to see that there are considerably more that 7000 in the pictures. Of course, you need to look at the right photographs; some right-wing bloggers have apparently been posting a picture of a comparatively smaller gathering in Baghdad and claiming it to be the Najaf demonstration.
Since the surge began, the US government and right wing blogs have been boasting about Sadr’s alleged escape to Iran, but this event proves that if anything, Sadr’s power and the hatred of the occupation has only grown more powerful.