Let's see....18,000 - 100 = 17,900..and here are what, 35 days to the hand over....that's 600 per day , on average..gotta get the numbers up..
Sadr's militia has nothing to do with the 18K worldwide AQ figure. He had at best 6000, most of those peeled off when it became clear that US troops could kill them at will - he is (was) down to 1000 or so, less and less every day. The Sadr problem will be wrapped up soon - the only question is how the media (and some freepers actually) will spin this into a defeat for the US.