Influential Sadrists Urge Radical Shiite Cleric To End Cease-fire Credited With Security Gains

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

BAGHDAD – Influential members of Muqtada al-Sadr's movement have urged the anti-U.S. Shiite cleric not to extend a cease-fire when it expires next month, officials said Monday, a move that could jeopardize recent security gains.

Al-Sadr's August order for his feared Mahdi Army militia to freeze activities for six months was seen by U.S. commanders as a major factor in a nationwide reduction of violence.

But U.S. and Iraqi forces insisted they would continue to hunt down so-called rogue fighters who ignored the order. Al-Sadr's followers claim this is a pretext to crack down on their movement.

The maverick cleric has threatened not to renew the cease-fire unless the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki purges “criminal gangs” operating within security forces he claims are targeting his followers.

That was a reference to rival Shiite militiamen from the Badr Brigade who have infiltrated security forces participating in the ongoing crackdown against breakaway militia cells the U.S. has said were linked to Iran.


Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20080128-0452-iraq.html

[acmavm]

1. Wow! And the Sunnis are threatening to side up with al Quaeda

in Fallujah if they don't get included in the police and Iraqi army.

Lose/lose situation as far as I can see.

[ohio2007]

5. Fallujah isn't a hospitable place

for AQ any more.
Of the 3,000 marines that went into Fallujah, only 250 remain stationed there today. Even the Iraqi army has given way to the local police that are paid a lot better then what AQ was offering as "rewards" for submitting to their laws

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5immTQrcpQmNrbtUNXn97yxmtErYQ

Stories like those are the reason why the MSM ignores Iraq and wante to focus on the US economy.

If al Sadre get coerced into lifting his hudna, I think the Iraqi's will take the fight to his house and end it once and for all this time.

..jmo

Lets see if his pen remains mightier then his sword

[Selatius]

2. Ah, so we have identified a big reason on why security improved in Baghdad. Al-Sadr did it.

If he told his ten-thousand man militia to resume activities, the illusion of security will quickly be destroyed.

[DLnyc]

4. Yes, very good point.

The decrease in violence may be very well correlated with a (temporary?) truce with the Sadr army.

[Roland99]

3. Hmmm...McCain and LIEberman failed to mention that in Florida yesterday.

And here I thought the surge was the reason!