Radical, Powerful Iraqi Cleric is a Hardcore Gamer
Radical, Powerful Iraqi Cleric is a Hardcore Gamer
July 1, 2007
Muqtada al Sadr is a gamer?When he's not trying to consolidate his power, the radical Shi'ite cleric, best known for his virulent opposition to the American presence in Iraq, apparently kicks backs with video games, although it's unclear which games or systems he prefers.
How do we know?
GamePolitics gleaned the news from the current issue of Time (cover date July 9). In the mag, Joe Klein pens One Last Chance, a report on U.S. General David Petraeus and the state of the so-callled "surge" by American forces. While reading Klein's article, we were surprised to come across this:
But the most important man in Iraq is the other Shi'ite prince, Muqtada al Sadr, who is 33 and the nominal leader of the most powerful militia in the country, the Mahdi Army. Al-Sadr is often called mercurial - he's supposedly a fervent video game player - ...
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:29am
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
He's probably into Prince of Persia(iran/iraq).
remember the hysteria a few years ago when the iraqi's bought 4000 ps2's
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=21118
£20 on Ninendogs and/or Animal Crossing :P
So if they don't have anything that has meaning to say, don't say it. It only shame your "The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" or should I say, "The Liar of Liars and the Joker of Jokers". After all, Jesus hates me.
He also likes to play the odd game of Counterstrike too, although be advised that the last wallhacking bitchz0r who headshotted him on dust2 was later found face down in a Baghdad parking lot with less kneecaps than he started with.
But perhaps Sadr's a fervent fan of casual video games? There's a ton of them on the web, and even the supposedly "non-gamer" crowd plays them habitually.
This looks like the kinda bullshit people like to use to lump videogamers in with terrorists.
a 'Water Drinker'. Other facts about this guy that
are obviously caused him to be a terrorist.
Surprisingly their games feature very little about the 'west', there's one that tells the fictional story of a young Israeli (or Palestinian, I always confuse the two) boy, that takes up arms against... who ever it is that they're in a piss about lately.
Then again, solitaire translates quite easily.
Burnout???
Mario Kart??? His favorite item would be the bomb-omb...
Oh god, me and my horrible jokes are going to hell...
Still, I prefer the GTA player from Baghdad this site profiled a few months back.
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/01/11/580/#comments
Wow, he does not age well.
im sure it would be almost as helpful to the industry as announcing the colombine kids played videogames.
I probably should edit that out to be more clear.
Not really. You find contradictions to the hatred of the West all over what these organizations do. Groups like Al Queda embrace the Internet, for example, in spreading their ideals. They post videos of their hostages on the Internet. And at the same time, they hate the West.
As with any group with political foundations, there are double standards abound.
"he’s supposedly a fervent video game player - but the the evidence says otherwise…"
This means it may not be true, especially since the line "evidence says otherwise". Means he's probably a casual gamer (one who plays solitaire or those terrorist created flash games just for kicks. Like "Whack the Bush")
http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=267474>1=10150
Captain America's Death. (which would probably be retconned soon. Mark my words)
In his mind, I guess its OK if he plays them- just like how these radical leaders have no problem strapping bombs to their youths but never having the balls to do it themselves...
I wonder if Fox News (or another sensationalist news organization) will spin this into an anti-game story.
or better yet, Insurgents.
Is on h4x!
because there to busy gettign laid and smoking a joint,while the US fundies gather power and raid other countries for kicks 0-o
tempo
4000 sounds like enough for all the rich and there,its like "US gov:ZOMG they are goign to build nukes with it..."Iraq:are you kidding it would void the warranty,do you know the shipping cost of getting it replaced!!!"
LOL
Counter Strike...
I met him the other day, he wiped our raid :(
Blamed the Coalition government cos they hacked his ISP.