Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sadrists: Mahdi Army won't take up arms
Politics
(Reuters) - The bloc of Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is debating its next move after quitting Iraq’s government, but its militia will not take up arms even after a wave of bombings in Shia areas in Baghdad, top Sadrists said.
Senior Sadr official Abdul-Mehdi al-Muteyri told Reuters on Thursday there were growing demands from ordinary Shias for the Mehdi Army militia to return to the streets in force, a day after car bombs killed 191 people. US and Iraqi officials have blamed Sunni Islamist Al Qaeda for the attacks.
“Iraqis won’t be patient for much longer. There is pressure from our people, pushing us to provide security but we can’t move without approval from the government,” Muteyri said. Muteyri’s remarks and those of other officials in Sadr’s movement signal that the fiery anti-American cleric still backs a two-month-old security plan in Baghdad that many see as a final attempt to halt all-out sectarian civil war.
When he pulled his six ministers from Shia Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki’s government on Monday, one of the first concerns to emerge was whether Sadr would continue to rein in his militia. He ordered his ministers to quit over Maliki’s refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Sadrist lawmaker Bahaa Al Araji said the movement -- which has kept its parliamentary seats -- would stay in the political process. He declined to give specifics about the movement’s next steps, but indicated it would play the role of an opposition. “We will focus on monitoring the state from parliament where we have a large bloc,” he said.
Some analysts have said Sadr might have wanted to withdraw his ministers to distance himself from the government and the security crackdown, especially if the offensive fails or major attacks targeting Shias continue unabated. One prominent Sunni politician told Reuters on condition of anonymity that his community feared the Mehdi Army was just waiting for the day when US forces start to draw down.
“In recent weeks, I admit we’ve heard the voice of moderation from the movement but we’re afraid they’re waiting to weather the American storm and re-emerge to capitalise on the weakness of Iraqi forces once American soldiers leave,” he said. Muteyri denied Sadr’s movement would rebel again. “It’s difficult for us to return to armed resistance. The occupier managed to deplete our energy with bombings and terrorism so everyone’s fed up with bloodshed,” he said. The US military has detained hundreds of Sadr’s followers in recent months, including close aides of the youthful cleric.
Another senior Sadr official said the movement could split with the ruling Shia Alliance if other Shia parties in the bloc did not take a clear position on a timetable for pulling out US forces. “In future, we will only ally with those who believe the occupation is the root of our problems and who wish to speed up their departure,” he said. Sadr officials cited another reason for quitting the government as their disapproval of partisan quotas which they say cripples Maliki’s ability to govern -- a position some observers believe will increase the movement’s popularity by appearing to rise above party interests.
Senior Sadr official Abdul-Mehdi al-Muteyri told Reuters on Thursday there were growing demands from ordinary Shias for the Mehdi Army militia to return to the streets in force, a day after car bombs killed 191 people. US and Iraqi officials have blamed Sunni Islamist Al Qaeda for the attacks.
“Iraqis won’t be patient for much longer. There is pressure from our people, pushing us to provide security but we can’t move without approval from the government,” Muteyri said. Muteyri’s remarks and those of other officials in Sadr’s movement signal that the fiery anti-American cleric still backs a two-month-old security plan in Baghdad that many see as a final attempt to halt all-out sectarian civil war.
When he pulled his six ministers from Shia Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki’s government on Monday, one of the first concerns to emerge was whether Sadr would continue to rein in his militia. He ordered his ministers to quit over Maliki’s refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Sadrist lawmaker Bahaa Al Araji said the movement -- which has kept its parliamentary seats -- would stay in the political process. He declined to give specifics about the movement’s next steps, but indicated it would play the role of an opposition. “We will focus on monitoring the state from parliament where we have a large bloc,” he said.
Some analysts have said Sadr might have wanted to withdraw his ministers to distance himself from the government and the security crackdown, especially if the offensive fails or major attacks targeting Shias continue unabated. One prominent Sunni politician told Reuters on condition of anonymity that his community feared the Mehdi Army was just waiting for the day when US forces start to draw down.
“In recent weeks, I admit we’ve heard the voice of moderation from the movement but we’re afraid they’re waiting to weather the American storm and re-emerge to capitalise on the weakness of Iraqi forces once American soldiers leave,” he said. Muteyri denied Sadr’s movement would rebel again. “It’s difficult for us to return to armed resistance. The occupier managed to deplete our energy with bombings and terrorism so everyone’s fed up with bloodshed,” he said. The US military has detained hundreds of Sadr’s followers in recent months, including close aides of the youthful cleric.
Another senior Sadr official said the movement could split with the ruling Shia Alliance if other Shia parties in the bloc did not take a clear position on a timetable for pulling out US forces. “In future, we will only ally with those who believe the occupation is the root of our problems and who wish to speed up their departure,” he said. Sadr officials cited another reason for quitting the government as their disapproval of partisan quotas which they say cripples Maliki’s ability to govern -- a position some observers believe will increase the movement’s popularity by appearing to rise above party interests.
Labels: Abdul-Mehdi al-Muteyri, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, politics
