(Video of Ammo Dump explosions at Falcon Camp, Iraq from 2006, posted today to Liveleak -we cannot confirm source and language in video is not work safe)

George Bush is quite happy with his buddy Maliki:

It was a very positive moment in the development of a sovereign nation that is willing to take on elements that believe they are beyond the law," Bush said. …"I understand people here want us to leave, regardless of the situation, but that will not happen so long as I’m Commander in Chief.

I would say this is a defining moment in the history of a free Iraq…

And one of the early questions I had to the Prime Minister was would he be willing to confront criminal elements, whether they be Shia or Sunni? … And his answer was, yes, sir, I will. And I said, well, you’ll have our support if that’s the case, if you believe in evenhanded justice. And his decision to move into Basra shows evenhanded justice, shows he’s willing to go after those who believe they’re outside the law.

This is a test and a moment for the Iraqi government… it is a necessary part of the development of a free society.

Meanwhile:

the Red Crescent, the IOM, and UNICEF are warning that the situation has deteriorated drastically. The international federation of Red CRoss/Cresecent say that the main problem is that they are running out of fule to get food to trapped civilians and that ambulances and relief convoys are being attacked. Yesterday the Basah hospitals manager for the city appealed urgently for emergency suppilies of medicines and surgical supplies he confirmed that the hospitals could not cope and said the system was close to collapse. He confirmed also that ambulances has been directly fired at.

Muqtada Al Sadr had a response:

The main Sadrist spokesman al-Obeidi has said that the GZG government “have closed the doors to dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Basrah.” He said that al Sadr has issued a statement saying that Bush’s statements on the crisis provide legitimate legal grounds for the Mahdi army and the Sadrist current to transform their role from calling for peaceful mediation of the crisis to the defender of the rights of the people and to protect innocent civilians.

Sadrists also confirmed a delegation of the Central Bureau of the Sadrist office in Najaf visited Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani and discussed with him developments in the security situation in Basra. Sistani expressed displeasure of the deteriorating performance of the government in the areas of security and economy.

Al-Sadr also gave an interview to Al Jazeera, his first public appearance in 10 months:

In the interview, al-Sadr said the militia’s "strategic objective" was "the liberation of Iraq from the occupier," meaning the Americans. He outlined the aims of his political movement, saying he wants to rid Iraq of sectarian politics, prevent its breakup and create an Islamic society.

Mahdi Army commanders say their militia has been taking delivery of arms and cash from Iran, but al-Sadr sought to distance himself from the Iranians, saying he has recently told Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, that he did not approve of the "political and military interests" that Tehran pursued in Iraq.

Firepups should note that al-Obeidi does not speak except at Sadr’s request. He is making clear that the Sadrists are now given permission to "defend" and "protect" their fellow Iraqis from the occupation forces and from Maliki’s attacks. The comments from Grand Ayatollah Sistani is at minimum a declaration that the religious leadership will take a hands off approach to what comes next and comes close to being a de facto approval of al Sadr’s call for resistance to any who attack the rights and security of Iraqis.

Given that the Sadrists have now demonstrated their effectiveness in holding off – and damaging Maliki’s forces in Basra and that large numbers of government forces have defected to join Sadr, this is very bad news for American forces (and British and others) in the region.

Pat Lang provides some additional background – along with his continued reminders about US supply lines in the South (the Colonel thought US forces would "shift the Main Supply Route (MSR) to the west (Nasiriyah) if the Basra area becomes too obstructed." but "Reuters reported from Al-Nasiriyah that Al-Mahdi Army fighters loyal to Al-Sadr took over the center of that city. The correspondent said he could see groups of al-Sadr’s fighters roaming the streets with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Militants have also reportedly taken control of the town of Shatra about 40 kilometers north of Al-Nasiriyah):

My problem with the present course of events is the ruthlessness of the propaganda campaign being successfully waged by the Bush Administration. The president has succeeded in "framing" the discussion in such a way that Maliki and his assembly of Badr Corps militias are represented as being the equivalent of George Washington suppressing the Whiskey Rebellion. The noble Maliki is portrayed as motivated by a selfless desire for "national" unity. The MSM has re-transmitted that idea without serious question.

The Colonel also points to reports that:

Already at the Basra air base, I can reveal, the British subsidiary of U.S. construction giant KBR is building four huge dining facilities – known to the American army as DFACs. These are capable of feeding 4,000 men and suggest that the U.S. Army is contemplating a massive deployment to southern Iraq – including a major presence inside Basra itself. Daily Mail

As the video above shows, the Green Zone is no longer a safe zone. Plans to further entrench US troops in the South at the same time that al Sadr has lost all patience with the occupation and Cheney’s oil pals Maliki and Hakim will of course be announced as another sign the surge is working.

Working for who?

h/t Du and TexBetsy

 Steve Soto at Left Coaster has more.

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