Iraq cleric's militia in show of force in Baghdad (start of a civil disobedience campaign)

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, March 24 (Reuters) - Members of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia appeared in a show of force in a number of Baghdad neighbourhoods on Monday and forced shop owners to close, witnesses said.

Witnesses and Interior Ministry officials said Mehdi Army fighters spread through five districts in southern and western Bagdad, ordering shop owners to close.

In one neighbourhood, they closed the roads with flaming tyres. Witnesses said the militia had declared the start of a civil disobedience campaign.

There were no reports of any clashes with Iraqi or U.S. forces, but residents said the situation was very tense.

...

An official in Sadr's office in one of the districts told Reuters that the Mehdi Army fighters were protesting against "U.S. raids and the arrests of innocent people". The militia has kept a low profile since Sadr called a ceasefire last August and extended it last month, a move U.S. commanders say has helped to sharply reduce sectarian violence between Iraq's majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Muslims.


Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL451987.htm

[maxsolomon]

1. the "surge" is completely dependent on the Mehdi Army's cooperation

Absent that, its back to sectarian warfare.

Iraq's partition & descent into Shiite theocracy comes sooner or later, but it comes. Moqtada Al Sadr is still in his 30's, right? he can wait.

GWB is a stupid, blundering, callow narcissist who has thrown away America's hegemony for reasons he cannot or will not state.

[Bozita]

3. Yup, it's gonna look a lot like 2006 again.

[alfredo]

2. This will end badly. People are going to die.

[annabanana]

4. Not to worry. . We have armed the "Sunni Awakening" to take them on.

:scared: :scared: :scared:

[Texifornia]

5. Moqtada has been secluded...

away engaging in religious studies.

I think this means a big power play for him soon. One of his shortcomings is that he is young and does not have the scholarly chops of his famous father. It has tainted the legitimacy of his leadership in the eyes of many Shia. Scholarly credentials are very powerful to all Muslims, but particularly so with Shia.

If he emerges from seclusion with increased respect, and unleashes his now re-supplied Mehdi Army, he may be able to wrest control of the entire government unleashing all hell in Anbar, Diyala and other places.

This is ominous.

[jwirr]

6. Civil disobedience? Non-violent civil disobedience like we know it?

This could be real trouble for our troops who have not been trained to face non-violent resistance. Listening to the Winter Soldiers made it quite clear that the brass is not above giving orders to shoot innocent people just because they are there. Then you add the knowledge that this man can, if he wants to, be a real danger.

[High Plains]

7. Ruh-roh.