DEALING WITH THE THUG

About 2,500 U.S. soldiers have massed outside Najaf, prepared for a showdown with radical Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who sounds defiant and says he is ready "to sacrifice my blood."

Al-Sadr told a Lebanon TV news station that he would pursue his continue "popular revolution" to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

"I fear only God. I am ready to sacrifice my blood for this country," he said.

To which numerous recently extended soldiers of the United States Army no doubt replied "Good, we're happy to oblige." I note however that this pinhead's death will not be "for this country"...it will be for his own aggrandizement. Meanwhile,

The U.S. sounds ready to answer his call. Earlier, Lt. Gen. Richardo Sanchez, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said the mission is to "capture or kill" al-Sadr.

The American units have set up a perimeter around Najaf to prevent militants from leaving.

Meanwhile, Iraqi leaders have launched frantic negotiations to try and head off a U.S. assault on Najaf. As the site of the Imam Ali Shrine, Shiite Muslims consider it to be the third holiest city in Islam.

Al-Sadr was seen leaving the shrine Monday night, after meeting with the sons of Iraq's three grand ayatollahs including Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani. Despite tough talk from the Americans and al-Sadr, those talks appear to be continuing in an effort to prevent bloodshed.

The U.S. commander of the force said his unit was aware of the political complexities of an assault on Najaf.

"Look at this as the Shiite Vatican," Col. Dana J.H. Pittard told The Association Press.

Al-Sadr's militia, the al-Mehdi Army, has fought with coalition troops in recent days. At one point it took control of some government buildings and police stations in three southern Iraq cities.

However, his fighters have pulled back somewhat in Najaf, Karbala and Kufa.

The U.S. wants the al-Mehdi Army to disband, a demand that al-Sadr has rejected.

What the Pinhead fails to grasp is that he isn't in much of a position to bargain. The Iraqi Governing Council gets that option. The 135,000 soldiers of the US Army in Iraq intend to see to it that democracy in some form happens under an orderly process.

One rabble rouser whipping up the riff raff in the streets in order to gain power? No thanks, al-Sadr. One Saddam per millenium is quite plenty.

Still, the story unfolds

An Iraqi envoy appointed by Moqtada al-Sadr said on Wednesday the Shi'ite cleric had asked him to convey a set of peace proposals to U.S. officials.

Sadr's supporters have been rising up against the U.S.-led occupying forces in south and central Iraq.

The United States has said it will kill or capture Sadr and destroy his militia, and has brought extra troops to the outskirts of Najaf, where the radical cleric is thought to be.

"Sayyed Moqtada made positive proposals to end the crisis. I cannot disclose the details. He realizes that an armed confrontation is not in anybody's interest," Abdelkarim al-Anzi told Reuters in Baghdad.

True...least of all, his.

Remember the piece by John Galt in which he said

Ants. A wise man once told me about the ant theory to control people. You put some sugar on the table. The ants will gather around it and look. One ant will eventually venture forth and go for the sugar. You take a huge hammer and smash that ant. The others get the message and go elsewhere. It’s a bumbling homily but fairly correct.

Well, it would appear its Hammer Time. And we have just the guys to do it.