August 5, 2008
QOMBAYA:
Al-Sadr Plans to Turn Militia Into Civic Organization (Fox News, August 04, 2008)
Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is planning to disarm the Mahdi Army by turning the militia into a civic and social service organization, a significant strategic shift, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.In a brochure obtained by the paper and confirmed by Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, Sadr's chief spokesman, the Mahdi Army will now be guided by Shiite spirituality instead of anti-American militancy. A new guiding principle will also be introduced: al-Mumahidoon, indicating that his supporters will be the foot soldiers of the Shiite messiah, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi, who Shiite Muslims believe will return to rid the world of evil. [...]
The al-Mumahidoon office will be separated into sections, including religion, education, social services and information. Posters bearing the indicating a new direction for the Mahdi Army have been put up in some areas of Baghdad, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Mookie is kind of Iraq's Baden-Powell... Posted by Orrin Judd at August 5, 2008 7:05 AM
"Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is planning to disarm the Mahdi Army by turning the militia into a civic and social service organization, a significant strategic shift..."
Well, when your alternative is to die, I guess that makes sense.
Posted by: Rick T. at August 5, 2008 8:04 AMReprisals on Sunni was a civil service.
Posted by: oj at August 5, 2008 11:58 AMBut trying to be a warlord wasn't. I'm glad he's surrendered, despite OJ's cheerleading for him.
Posted by: PapayaSF at August 5, 2008 12:47 PMWarlord? Once he laid the groundwork for the surge we took over and he went to seminary to become an ayatollah. His organization is just keeping up.
Posted by: oj at August 5, 2008 1:37 PMPSF:
Yes, the WSJ headlined their front-page article today "Radical Iraq Cleric in Retreat."
Posted by: Rick T. at August 5, 2008 4:14 PM
He's attracted to little boys?
Posted by: pjbbuzz