Monday, October 02, 2006
al-Sadr orders followers to lay down arms
Security
Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his followers to put down their weapons temporarily, three of his aides told McClatchy Newspapers on Friday. According to three top al-Sadr aides, who agreed to discuss the meeting only if they weren't identified because it had been secret, al-Sadr told the commanders to: Reduce the size of units to 75 fighters, from as many as 400, to make the units more manageable, issue new identification cards to Mahdi army members to replace IDs that have been forged, send every member to an orientation course that would outline the group's mission and to lay down weapons temporarily.
Analysts differed on the significance of the directive, which al-Sadr delivered in secret to his commanders two weeks ago in the southern city of Kufa. Some saw it as al-Sadr's way of distancing himself from rising sectarian violence, most of which has been blamed on his followers. Others said the order was little more than an effort by al-Sadr to head off an offensive by American and Iraqi forces against his militia, which increasingly is seen as a shadow sectarian security force. Controlling many of Iraq's larger cities, the Mahdi uses its political hold on several government ministries to win new supporters.
Whichever view is correct, al-Sadr's directives suggest that his organization is feeling pressure to curb the violence between Shiites and their Sunni Muslim rivals. U.S. officials have blamed al-Sadr for much of the killing and have pledged to move against his forces. Now many think the Mahdi army controls security in much of Iraq through death squads and its infiltration and intimidation of Iraqi security forces. Al-Sadr's political supporters are influential with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who won his post through the backing of al-Sadr, who controls the largest voting bloc in the parliament.
Analysts also think that al-Sadr is having trouble controlling his organization. Some militant members have criticized him for joining the political process last year, accusing him of straying from his pledge to reject the American-created government and rid Iraq of foreign forces. A senior U.S. military official said this week that at least six former Mahdi army leaders no longer answer to al-Sadr. Those leaders now are members of rival groups that are competing for power, popularity and money from the same sources as al-Sadr.
Analysts differed on the significance of the directive, which al-Sadr delivered in secret to his commanders two weeks ago in the southern city of Kufa. Some saw it as al-Sadr's way of distancing himself from rising sectarian violence, most of which has been blamed on his followers. Others said the order was little more than an effort by al-Sadr to head off an offensive by American and Iraqi forces against his militia, which increasingly is seen as a shadow sectarian security force. Controlling many of Iraq's larger cities, the Mahdi uses its political hold on several government ministries to win new supporters.
Whichever view is correct, al-Sadr's directives suggest that his organization is feeling pressure to curb the violence between Shiites and their Sunni Muslim rivals. U.S. officials have blamed al-Sadr for much of the killing and have pledged to move against his forces. Now many think the Mahdi army controls security in much of Iraq through death squads and its infiltration and intimidation of Iraqi security forces. Al-Sadr's political supporters are influential with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who won his post through the backing of al-Sadr, who controls the largest voting bloc in the parliament.
Analysts also think that al-Sadr is having trouble controlling his organization. Some militant members have criticized him for joining the political process last year, accusing him of straying from his pledge to reject the American-created government and rid Iraq of foreign forces. A senior U.S. military official said this week that at least six former Mahdi army leaders no longer answer to al-Sadr. Those leaders now are members of rival groups that are competing for power, popularity and money from the same sources as al-Sadr.
