Sadr orders followers to end fighting

The Long War Journal ^ | 3/30/08 | Bill Roggio

[HD1200]

Six days after the Iraqi government launched Operation Knights’ Charge in Basrah against the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia terror groups, Muqtada al Sadr, the Leader of the Mahdi Army, has called for his fighters to lay down their weapons and cooperate with Iraqi security forces. Sadr’s call for an end to the fighting comes as his Mahdi Army has taken serious losses since the operation began. "Sadr has sent a message to his loyalists urging them to end all armed activities," the Al Iraqiya television channel reported. Sadr "disowned anyone attacking the state institutions or parties' offices and headquarters."

[JohnD9207]

Ping

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Maliki needs to take care of business....

[Marine_Uncle]

Notice how Sistani and Hakim have been so quiet. Perhaps things are in the works to let Sadr finally hang himself.
Of course he wouldn't. He would simply retire to Iran to the villa they supplied him and pretend to be a student of Islam with his new wife at his side.

[PGalt]

Trickle down annihilation works!

Why is Sadr still alive? Why is Nasrallah in Lebanon still alive?

Saddam is dead. His sons are dead. Iraq is making progress. Zarqawi is dead, etc., etc.

Trickle down annihilation works!

[elhombrelibre]

Sistani must be backing the government. Al Sadr has shown how duplicitious he is.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Tennessean4Bush and Ernest at the Beach.

BREAKING NEWS:
Al-Sadr calls for an end to Shiite revolt in south Iraq. More soon..
(Sadr, you lose!)
MSNBC | 3/30/2008 | MSNBC
Posted on 03/30/2008 5:36:56 AM PDT by tobyhill
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993948/posts

Government to lift Baghdad curfew
BBC | Monday, 31 March 2008 02:30 UK | BBC Staff
Posted on 03/31/2008 2:01:52 AM EDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994272/posts

In Pictures: Iranian munitions seized in Iraq-(3.28.08)
longwarjournal | March 30, 2008 | By Bill Roggio
Posted on 03/30/2008 8:24:02 PM PDT by Flavius
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994231/posts

British troops called into Basra as Shia battles rage on
Times (UK) | March 31, 2008 | James Hider in Baghdad and Michael Evans, Defence Editor
Posted on 03/30/2008 4:47:08 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994172/posts

Aide to Iraq’s Sadr: “No handover of arms”
Reuters | 30 Mar 2008 13:38:32 GMT | Source: Reuters
Posted on 03/30/2008 12:46:53 PM EDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994038/posts

Mahdi Army taking significant casualties in Baghdad, South
The Long War Journal | 29 March 2008 | Bill Roggio
Posted on 03/30/2008 12:03:51 AM EDT by DJ Elliott
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993874/posts

[Marine_Uncle]

I have no trouble believing Sistani is supportive of the Iraqi Central government. He basically has said all along that he believes religious clerics should tend to their flocks and not mix in politics, as well as indicating he was agreeable of Iraq having a secular government. Perhaps he and Hakim and their key underlings shall yet surface as reasonable players in the bigger game.
Sadr is just to immature to be leading such a volatile militia. He does not, assuming he really only wants Arabs to run Iraq, understand he is part of the problem more Coalition troops have not departed.
Off course part of the whole equation, is, we don't know who may be pulling Sadr's strings from the background. Is he really the main figure behind building and maintaining the Mahdi Army for instance. Or will it found in due time he is more of a figurehead.