LIKE THERE WAS EVER ANY DOUBT:

Iraq's Sadr expected to extend militia truce: sources (Mariam Karouny and Wisam Mohammed, Feb 21, 2008, Reuters)

Powerful Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is expected to extend a six-month ceasefire by his Mehdi Army militia, two senior officials in his movement confirmed for the first time on Thursday.

They said Sadr had issued a declaration to preachers to be read during midday prayers on Friday at mosques affiliated with the cleric, whose militia was blamed for fuelling sectarian violence with minority Sunni Muslims in 2006 and 2007.

U.S. officials say the ceasefire has helped to sharply reduce violence in Iraq, and an extension of the truce would be widely welcomed.

He had nothing to gain and much to lose by turning on his American allies, so he didn't. That's news?

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 21, 2008 3:47 PM