More from the article linked at #10:
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It's the latest episode in a strategy that has been under way for some time now to draw out the militia's hard-core elements, thus dividing it into "good" and "bad," according to the deputy chief of staff of Iraq's armed forces, a secular Shiite who has strong ties to US military commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus.
"There is the good, bad, and ugly, but the heads are linked. Now we are rooting out the bad guys," says Gen. Naseer al-Abadi.
The US has long accused so-called "special groups" within the Mahdi Army of having ties to Iran, being behind the more spectacular roadside bombings in Iraq, and more recently for firing rockets and mortars into the fortified Green Zone, the area of Baghdad that houses the US Embassy and Iraqi government offices.
But analysts say that the strategy of drawing out these "rogue elements" within the Mahdi Army in Basra quickly spread to other southern cities and gave rise to fighting in Baghdad's Shiite stronghold, Sadr City.
If the battle does continue, critics warn, it risks driving Baghdad and the whole southern half of the country into a precipice and perhaps leading to a civil war between Shiite factions.
"The US was involved in the initial decision to move against the Mahdi Army.… The Americans are going to help crush the Sadrists by siding with Hakim and Dawa," says Mustafa al-Ani, a Dubai-based analyst with the Gulf Research Center, referring to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the force behind the ruling Shiite political bloc which includes Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party.
Let us hope so Fred. This frigen jerk has gotten away with murder charges. And all the trouble he has created since day one and allowed to enter the political arena and screw up so much during the Maliki term. I still wonder why plans where not made for him to be taken out.
Paul Bremmer screwed the pouch as far as I am concerned regarding letting Mookie off the hook way back when.
Now. What is in the mind of Hakim. Can he be trusted to adhere to a one Iraq principle where all Iraqi can have a say in their central and provincial governments. How strong are his ties to Iran. Are they more ground in simple religious adherence within the close ties he has had with Iranian Shia or does he really want to see a divided Iraq where the Shia role the country and dominate the southern sector where half of the countries current oil is extracted then shipped out.
I'm just speaking out loud with no intention of finding the absolute answers at this point.
As many I have viewed various profiles of all the key players in Iraq. But their profiles do not always show their true color(s).
I tend to try to place these guys into roughly similar positions as we may find in either of our countries from a political party standpoint. Perhaps that is unwise.
One thing is for certain. Both Sistani and Hakim have been very quiet in recent days. On the record, we have read from various sources both have been committed to allowing a democratic (secular by inference) government to take control of Iraq.
Iraq has a constitution that to some degree is penned to protect all it's citizens regardless of religious affiliation.
But how much of their constitution was agreed upon a majority of those involved, and how does it play with the masses.
Maliki should be on the pulpit declaring that the Sadr Army has fully overstretched any form of recognized authority it may have been perceived as permitted to indulged in.
As you are well aware, it was a terrible mistake to allow for any militia to exist within the framework of their new constitution.
I do hope there are strong forces behind the scenes from a number of the Coalition nation's foreign affairs to convince the Iraqi that they must supply an amendment to their constitution that would disband all militias.
Until this is done, the problems will exist. If it calls for a lot of bloody battles to take place. Then so be it. With their new military, national police, and most likely improving provincial level security forces taking hold and showing many positive signs, there is no reason for legality for local militias to be allowed to exist.
At any rate. My day off. I still had to go to a store meeting for two hours this late evening. I have to get up at 3:30AM my time to be in at 5AM. So I have to sign off. Do have a great day.