Word: saadi
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...residents began to help push for change. The police walled the city in, leaving only three entrances, to prevent infiltration. The city's 800 policemen, planned to grow to a force of 1,500, have also dealt effectively with sectarian tensions, says deputy police commander General Adnan al-Saadi. "When we first came here, al-Qaeda spread rumors that we were here to occupy the city, and that we are [Shi'ite] and were going to treat [the residents] badly. But then the people started to realize that we were dealing with them in a professional way," he said. Attacks...
...their strongholds in Sadr City and the southern cities of Amara and Basra over the past four months. "We don't think they will try to fight again, because they are too weak now," says an Interior Ministry official. "If they start, it will be their end." Says Ali Saadi, a medical professor in the Hay al-Banook district, where the Shi'ite militia has been popular and which lies adjacent to Sadr City: "The Mahdi Army was hit hard [by the military operation]. They are very weak these days, and a lot of them escaped to other areas...
...Sadrists in parliament maintain their distance when speaking about the militia in public. "Of course the government is controlling Sadr City," says Sadrist MP Nasir al-Saadi. But when asked whether that means the Mahdi Army has been wiped out, he says, "The Army of the Imam [a name used interchangeably with Mahdi Army] is not only in Sadr City; it is in all of Iraq. And if [government officials] think they are few in numbers, they are dreaming...
...demonstration that followed Friday's prayer, a crowd of men rallied - as they often do - with Iraqi flags and portraits of al-Sadr raised above their heads, chanting, "No to America! No to the agreement! No to the occupation!" Saadi, the MP, says the Mahdi Army will never turn violent in Sadr City again. But he says it could carry out more demonstrations "if the government pushes the people and doesn't fulfill its promises." The Interior Ministry official is more wary, saying, "People want services like electricity, water and medical care ... They are fed up with the military...
...followers. And please spare us the sensational headlines that promote prejudice and fear in people ignorant of Islam. If you had made an effort, you would have discovered the Islam that is attracting large numbers of converts around the world. You need a Muslim on your staff. Saadi Alikhan Strongsville, Ohio...