Iranian News Cleverly Disguised As Iraqi News
Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the 60,000-strong Mehdi Army (a Shi'ite militia) has announced that the cease-fire order he issued (first for six months in August 2007, then for another six months in February 2008) will now be in place indefinitely.
While not explicitly calling for disarmament, he stated that the Mehdi Army would be reshaped into a primarily religious and cultural organization and renamed al-Mumahidun. The Mehdi Army was the most motivated and best-organized single force threatening Iraqi stability, so this is great news for the American presence and Iraqi government.
Be aware, however, that al-Sadr has actually been living in Iran (a Shi'ite state) since early 2007 and it is no great reach to assume that al-Sadr's words and actions since then (if not before) have been an extension of Iranian policy. This indefinite extension of the cease-fire is a likely indicator of a compromise having been reached behind the scenes between the US and Iran.
While not explicitly calling for disarmament, he stated that the Mehdi Army would be reshaped into a primarily religious and cultural organization and renamed al-Mumahidun. The Mehdi Army was the most motivated and best-organized single force threatening Iraqi stability, so this is great news for the American presence and Iraqi government.
Be aware, however, that al-Sadr has actually been living in Iran (a Shi'ite state) since early 2007 and it is no great reach to assume that al-Sadr's words and actions since then (if not before) have been an extension of Iranian policy. This indefinite extension of the cease-fire is a likely indicator of a compromise having been reached behind the scenes between the US and Iran.
posted by Face of Spades at 12:28 PM
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