Time Travel 04: I Fight the US in the Middle East

“That’s right, I absolutely don’t believe it either!” Azzam said. “Muktada al-Sadr, that’s an anti-American leader! He will never leave the holy city. He will defend the holy city, defend the Ali Mosque, until victory is achieved, or until he is sacrificed!”

This was the leader's firm statement during the US siege of Najaf! At that time, the main force of the Mahdi Army was in the holy city, and the US military did not carry out decapitation tactics. As a result, Muqtada al-Sadr made this statement!

"Yes, the leader taught us to bravely resist the invaders, by force, by culture, by all means!" Khalil-Maliki added.

At this moment, Ali-Hazem's gaze began to wander.

Something's not right, something's definitely not right!

Azzam's firm support will certainly increase Muqtada al-Sadr's influence if he does not surrender, but if he does surrender, his words will only have the opposite effect, making everyone feel that they have been deceived!

Abid became even angrier, drawing his pistol and pressing it against the man's head: "I'll kill you right now!"

"I'm telling the truth! The Americans even... even recorded a video, and it's playing on TV right now..."

Boom!

The messenger was thrown to the ground, and Abid looked at Amr-Elwan Ibrahim: "Brother Amr, please hurry and find a television!"

There's one in this room.

In the 1970s and 80s, when Saddam Hussein had just taken control of Italo, the people of Italo enjoyed a high standard of living thanks to their oil wealth, and every household owned a car and a television.

It's already 2004, and plasma TVs are becoming popular outside, while LCD TVs are slowly emerging. But in Yituo, there are still only old-fashioned cathode ray tube TVs.

I wonder if the Americans deliberately showed this to the people of Sadr City, because this little town didn't have a power outage today!

Soon, the television was turned on, and after a period of static, the picture from the Italian National Television network quickly became clear.

This was the official television station during Saddam's era. After the war in 2003, it was temporarily taken over by the coalition forces, and of course, the programs broadcast were those prepared by the coalition forces.

At that moment, a man appeared on the television screen.

He looked very haggard, his hair and beard were messy, and even though he had tidied himself up a bit before filming the show, he still looked very weathered. But... appearances don't lie.

"The war is over. Continuing resistance is pointless. This is not a revolution because it has lost its peaceful nature. The blood of the Itau people is forbidden... All weapons must be returned to the state, and no one may use weapons except for national missions..."

These words… is that still the leader's voice? Why do they sound so unfamiliar?

"No, no, this isn't real, this isn't real, they must have found a body double for the leader..." Abid murmured.

Azam looked at him with pity. "Brother, the feeling of having your faith shattered must be painful, right?"

"The leader has no double, that should be true. We...shouldn't we contact the Holy City to see if the leader is..." Ali-Hazim said.

"That's right, I need to contact them!" Abid realized and took out his satellite phone from his bag.

Mobile phones existed in Yituo in the 1980s, and the history of using mobile phones predates that of the East. However, after the Gulf War in the 1990s, there has been no mobile phone signal in Yituo!

Thus, it wasn't until August 2003 that the GSM signal towers were finally built. However, these were for use by the US and British military. Ordinary people, not to mention mobile phones, might not even be able to make calls with their home landlines!

If you want to communicate over long distances, then satellite phones are the only option!

Abid came from the holy city seeking help, and carried a mobile phone with him for easy communication.

As he pulled out his phone, Azam felt his eyelids twitching violently: "Hey, buddy, please go outside and make this call at the crossroads!"

Needless to say, even the Russians, with their advanced electronic technology, managed to monitor Dudayev's satellite phone signal and then launch a missile to kill him, didn't they?

Are you trying to kill everyone by making a phone call in my little courtyard?

Watching Abid leave with the satellite phone, the others exchanged glances, and then...

Ali-Hazem spoke first: "If the leader really surrenders, should we obey his orders, disband our armed forces, and become obedient citizens from now on?"

"Of course not!" Khalil Maliki gritted his teeth. "If he really backs down, then he doesn't deserve to be our leader!"

At this point, Khalil Maliki harbored immense hatred for his former leader! He had been claiming to be anti-American, but after being arrested, he immediately changed his tune and became a compliant citizen, even demanding that the Mahdi army lay down their weapons.

"If he doesn't come to lead us, whose orders should we take?"

Khalil Maliki answered without hesitation.

"Of course it's Azam! Juba the Grim Reaper has the strongest anti-American sentiment, and they killed the American division commander, making them mortal enemies of the United States! This victory is also thanks to Azam's command; we can only win battles by following Azam!"

The two of them were working together in perfect harmony, which pleased Azam greatly. He had been thinking about how to gain power, but now these people had already given their approval!

Yesterday's victory was the most crucial factor, showing these bumpkins how modern warfare is fought. Moreover, being a leader isn't necessarily a good thing; didn't the previous leader get beheaded?

No, no, capturing them alive is far more terrifying than beheading them!

Among these people, Khalil Maliki has no bad intentions, he's just stubborn, while Ali Hazem is more shrewd. Of course, as long as they oppose the US together and acknowledge his leadership, they're all brothers.

"No, no, I can't do that." Azam quickly waved his hands. "I've said before that we're partners. I'm here to help Brother Amur. How can I usurp your position and lead you... Brother Amur, say something!"

Amr-Erwan-Ibrahim's expression changed several times, his demeanor complex. He knew, of course, that Azam was asking him to state his position.

If Muqtada al-Sadr surrenders, what will become of the Mahdi Army?

Amr-Erwan-Ibrahim is the overall commander here, and theoretically he could break away and work independently!

He used to think he was very capable and could command an army, but these past few days, Azam has opened a new door for him. The command ability required for fighting a war is something that someone like him, with his limited skills, can't compare to! Only someone like Azam can lead the Mahdi army to victory!

If someone has ulterior motives, they would definitely seize power now, but... if they are truly fighting to drive out the Americans, then we should support Azam!

Thinking of this, Amr-Elwan Ibrahim spoke up: "Brother Azam, in the recent series of battles, you have demonstrated first-rate command abilities. Only you can lead us to victory! I support you!"