BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister vowed Thursday to fight “until the end” against Shiite militias in Basra despite protests by tens of thousands of followers of a radical cleric, Muqtadi al Sadr, in Baghdad and deadly clashes across the capital and the oil-rich south.

The Iraqi leader made his pledge to tribal leaders in the Basra area as military operations continued for a fourth day with stiff resistance. Mounting anger focused on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is personally overseeing operations against the militias dominated by Muqtada al-Sadr’s supporters amid a violent power struggle in Basra, Iraq’s southern oil hub.

“We have made up our minds to enter this battle and we will continue until the end. No retreat,” he said in a speech broadcast on Iraqi state TV.”

Blah blah blah. We all, and I do mean EVERYBODY, knew that this guy was going to be a big problem even when he was still small potatoes, and that he should have been shot or imprisoned a long time ago. Instead, our hired idiot al Maliki, whom we made president of that festering abscess of a nation, played politics thinking Sadder would be of use to him. Now he’s the one who’s sadder along with our soldiers who are stuck with having to deal with this screwup at the peril of their lives.

Al Sadr’s picked men, “Sadrist” lawmakers, were installed in the Iraqi government and are now fighting against reforms from within. Good job, all you who are involved. By just worrying about your own power bases instead of all those people around you, the tortures, the mutilations, the murders, the slaughters, the explosions, the flying body parts of infants in the market place, will all continue unabated. Well done.

What wonderful people, so gentle and kind with their Religion of Love. Let’s build a mosque near you, so you can share in the love. Just imagine it, the call to prayer blaring from giant loudspeakers atop tall picturesque minarets five times a day, bearded men threatening you with knives, your little 10 year old daughter getting gang raped…