Mission & Justice (Free subscription) | yesterday
Dexter Filkins; 26/7/08; The New Republic; Dexter Filkins covered the war in Iraq for The New York Times from 2003 to 2006. His book, The Forever War, is published by Knopf. Muqtada: Muqtada Al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq; By Patrick Cockburn; Faber To feel the power of Moqtada al-Sadr, the young Shia cleric [...]
Times of India (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago
Demolition of an illegal floor of a building on Chapel Road in Abids by civic officials led to tension with Karwan MLA Mohammed Muqtada Khan alias Afsar Khan firing two rounds in the air.
Houston Chronicle (Free subscription) | 3 hours ago
... Iraq.It is a remarkable change from years past, when the militia, led by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, controlled a broad swath of Baghdad, including local governments and police forces. But its use of extortion and violence began alienating much of the Shiite population to the point that many quietly supported American military sweeps against the group.Prime Minister Nouri Kamal...
Drudge Retort (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
U.S. military leaders and everyday Iraqis think that cleric Muqtada al Sadr's order to his followers is a key reason for the dramatic fall in violence. The universal fear is what will happen if the freeze ends. Sadr's motives remain an enigma to many Iraqis, even his followers. The result is angst over much of Iraq, despite the improved security.
LA Times (Free subscription) | 07/25/2008
... more than four years. Also cited are the U.S. troop buildup and a cease-fire that anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada Sadr imposed on his Shiite Muslim militia.Baqubah and other areas in Diyala have been hit by bombings in recent months. Two suicide bombers attacked army recruits at a Baqubah military base last week, killing at least 28 people and wounding 57.Earlier Thursday, three Awakening members...
Investor's Iraq Forum (Free subscription) | 07/24/2008
... held in January 2005, were boycotted by Sunni Arabs and followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Provincial elections are critical to Iraq's future and would invest the dispirited Sunni minority with a stake in power. The elections would give the provinces more control in areas such as police protection and economic development. cont.. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...O.html'sid=101...
kansascity.com (Free subscription) | 07/24/2008
... four years. Also cited are the U.S. troop buildup and a cease-fire declared by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for his Shiite militia.
Members of the U.S.-allied Sunni groups have frequently been targeted by al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgents seeking to derail the security gains.
Earlier Thursday, gunmen killed three Awakening Council members in drive-by shootings at checkpoints...
Prospect.org (Free subscription) | 07/24/2008
... American combat forces. The Iraqi public is overwhelmingly supportive of an American withdrawal. Muqtada al Sadr and other opponents of Maliki's coalition have always called for a withdrawal and made it one of the cornerstones of their political platform. Two weeks ago Maliki expressed similar views only pulling back after pressure from the White House. Iraq's National Security Advisor Mouwaffak...
Investor's Iraq Forum (Free subscription) | 07/24/2008
... press conference in Baghdad, MP Bahaa al-Araji, from the Sadrist bloc loyal to the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the presidency of the parliament ordered forming a committee consisting of him and MP Harith al-Ubaidi to help the displaced return to their houses in districts of al-Adel(west Baghdad), al-Ghazaliya(north-west Baghdad) and al-Hurriya (north Baghdad). With violence at...
Investor's Iraq Forum (Free subscription) | 07/24/2008
... confidence after a string of victories against the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi army is in control of Basra, Iraq's second largest city, and Amara province, a one-time Sadrist stronghold. Its forces also are in Sadr City, the massive Shiite slum in Baghdad that's home to as many people as Chicago. Troops are headed now to restive Diyala province....
Sacramento Bee (Free subscription) | 07/23/2008
During Tuesday's session, parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashadani, a Sunni Muslim Arab, called for an open vote but proposed to delay elections in Kirkuk province, according to Baha Araji, a member of parliament who's with the Sadrists, rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's party. When members rejected that, the speaker proposed dividing Kirkuk equally among Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens. That, too,...
Progressive Bloggers (Free subscription) | 07/23/2008
... and the fact that most parts of Iraq have been effectively ethnically cleansed hasn't hurt either. Muqtada al Sadr has also held to a ceasefire for several months, probably in service to his own long-term goals, not any desire for peace and harmony.The underlying problem (lack of central government power) remains, but for the moment, Iraq is in a period of relative calm.So it's a win-win...
Liberal Values (Free subscription) | 07/23/2008
... surge? Because they occurred before the surge began. Kevin posted this time line: February 2006: Muqtada al-Sadr orders an end to execution-style killings by Mahdi Army death squads. August 2006: Sadr announces a broad ceasefire, which he has maintained ever since. September 2006: The Sunni Awakening begins. Tribal leaders, first in Anbar and later in other provinces, start fighting back...
Michael Goldfarb - The Blog (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
... where it was the heaviest. And then, even before the surge was completed, in February 2007, Sadr, Muqtada al-Sadr, told his militia to lay down their arms. MARGARET WARNER: But are you saying that the surge, the 20,000 additional combat forces, aren't a significant factor in why things are more peaceful? LAWRENCE KORB: It was a factor, but was not nearly as big a factor as the Sunni insurgents...
Alternet (Free subscription) | 07/22/2008
... firepower. The Iraqi army itself, though more confident than before, wonders what would happen if Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army, were to end his ceasefire or the Iranians were to reverse their support for the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Two powerful tribal sheiks from Sadr City told me firmly that the Mahdi Army was on the run. But when I asked if they would oppose...
