Some interesting developments arose since my post yesterday. First, as I point out in an update in yesterday's post; US troops deny asking Sadr City residents to leave. As Erdla, of GG, remarked, the GZG did tell them to leave tho... Here's an interesting article about one of the 'sanctuaries'... Tents get no takers from Sadr City.

The people setting up the displaced camp in the stadium today didn't seem in any rush, despite the fact that some media outlets had announced that the government was advising Sadr City residents to evacuate their homes in anticipation of a security crackdown against the Mahdi Army militia there.

Only Sadr City residents are allowed at this camp, which has made for some awkward moments.

Several families from other areas arrived Thursday but were turned away. "There was also this crazy guy who drove in with his girlfriend and wanted to stay with her overnight. We had to kick them out. He just wanted to have a free honeymoon," Saqr said, laughing.

Sadr City residents have to get accreditation from one of their local police stations to qualify to stay in the stadium.

The next mea culpa, as I had alluded to yesterday when I said it wasn't confirmed by MNF-I, AQI's #1 wasn't captured. As the article points out, it wasn't the first time...

"We called the commander of Ninevah operations 10 times and every time he insisted it was Abu Hamza al-Muhajir because when they caught him, they asked him whether his name was Abu Hamza al-Muhajir and he said yes," the Associated Press quoted Askari as saying.

This isn't the first time confusion has surrounded the reported arrest or death of a high-ranking AQI leader. "Iraqi officials have reported his death three times, his capture twice and a mortal wounding once."

Elusive critter, even with a $5 Million price tag on his head... Now, the biggest mea culpa, or rather, a presumed one through the deafening silence... IRAQ: The elusive Iranian weapons...

There was something interesting missing from Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner's introductory remarks to journalists at his regular news briefing in Baghdad on Wednesday: the word "Iran," or any form of it. It was especially striking as Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman here, announced the extraordinary list of weapons and munitions that have been uncovered in recent weeks since fighting erupted between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and Shiite militiamen.

Not once did Bergner point the finger at Iran for any of these weapons and munitions, which is a striking change from just a couple of weeks ago when U.S. military officials here and at the Pentagon were saying that caches found in Basra in particular had revealed Iranian-made arms manufactured as recently as this year. They say the majority of rockets being fired at U.S. bases, including Baghdad's Green Zone, are launched by militiamen receiving training, arms and other aid from Iran.

All those armaments and no accusations leveled at Iran, hmmm...

This article has several different perspectives on the Iran issue...

First, the Iran response...

Hussein Shariatmadari, a representative of Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and editor of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, responded, "When Americans and Iraqis bring such accusations, they are facing difficulties in Iraq. When they face difficulties, they blame Iran for them and not themselves." Speaking to the pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat, he added that evidence presented to Tehran by Iraqi officials "was not conclusive".

Next, the Sadrist response...

A spokesman for the Sadrist movement of Muqtada al-Sadr, accused by the Americans of receiving funds and weapons from Tehran, added, "Iran sells weapons to anyone who wants and the Sadr movement, al-Qaeda and the parties in Iraq's political process have Iranian weapons." He added, "Therefore, it is quite natural to find Iranian weapons because they are sold and bought and any party can buy them."

Here's another pertinent quote...

Strangely, the Bush White House now condemns Muqtada's Mahdi Army, but turned a blind eye to its activities when Muqtada was working with Maliki in 2006-2007. And it says nothing about the Badr Brigade, another Shi'ite militia that is equally dangerous, but unlike the Mahdi Army it is pro-American.

What a wicked web we weave...!