Posted on 11/19/2007 4:39:18 AM PST by Wiz
The U.S. is providing “logistic and intelligence assistance” to a rival Shiite faction to weaken the Sadr Movement, a movement’s senior official said.
Bahaa al-Araji said the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, a leading ally of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, was working to undermine the movement and to provoke its military wing.
The Mahdi Army, the movement’s military arm, has vowed to suspend military operations targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops as well as other militia factions.
But Araji said the movement, led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr may not be able to keep its promise with the U.S. siding with one of its major rivals.
The Islamic council’s military organization, the Badr Corps militias, is among the best armed and equipped irregular army in Iraq. Maliki’s Dawaa party also has its own militia forces.
The two militia factions are reported to have mounted a unified front against Sadr’s Mahdi Army in several cities in the south, particularly in Karbala and Najaf.
“We are afraid that leading figures in the Sadr Movement will not honor the decision by Moqtada al-Sadr to freeze activities by the Mahdi Army,” Araji said.
It was the first direct hint by the group that it may once again resort to arms in its struggle against rival factions and U.S. occupation forces.
The Sadr Movement has large following in the Shiite quarters of Baghdad as well as several cities in the south. It also exerts large influence among the predominantly Shiite Turkmen of northern Iraq.
Iraqi observers say U.S. support of the Badr Corps is specifically designed to dent the support the anti-American Sadr Movement garners among the Shiites.
The policy, they say, is similar to the one the U.S. applied among Sunni Arabs by having them rise against the Sunni fighters of al-Qaeda.
(Excerpt) Read more at iraqupdates.com ...
ping
Sounds like we are politically marginalizing Sadr. Very good. Another day, another bit of progress from Iraq.
This is how successful Counter Insurgencies end, not with a surrender or a victory parade, but with a political deal.
Political isolation is the first step. Disarming his irregular army should be the goal.
Disarming? Why not say crushed and cease to exist? We want those terrorists dead.
Mookie should have been dead long ago. We wouldn't be having these problems today had he been taken out when we had the chance.
Al Qeda was the primary threat, Mokie is a mere detail. We are pretty much done with Al Qeda, now we move on to Mokie. By not trying to deal with everyone at once, we keep the various thug groups sectionalized instead of allied against us.
- The ISOF and US SOF has been targeting JAM under the cover of going after criminals, “Rogue elements”, or “Special Groups” for two years.
- The regulars started targeting JAM early 2007.
- I count a Division’s worth of ISF moving into Diwaniyah during the last five days:
5-2 INP Bde
1-8 IA Bde (normal garrison)
?-9 IA Tank/Mech Bde (either 1-9 from Baghdad or 2-9 from Taji)
Other Bn sized elements of INP/IA are also reported enr...
- The new 14th Division in Basrah has three brigades attached now:
1-14 (former 3-8 from Wassit)
2-14 (former 5-10 formed in May)
3-14 (to be formed by end-year)
3-9 Tank (Deployed from Baghdad to cover until 14th fully formed)
4-14 (Forming by mid-2008)
This is more like phase III (open warfare) than a “1st step”. The prep work has been ongoing...
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