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Tens of thousands of Iraqis rally in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 9, 2005. The supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who led uprisings last year against U.S. troops, called Saturday for American forces to withdraw from Iraq. The demonstration overflowed Firdos Square, where protesters pulled down a towering statue of Saddam Hussein two years ago to the day. (AP Photo\/Samir Mizban<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
An Old U.S. Foe Rises Again in Iraq <\/a><\/p>\n
U.S. military officials say they believe the toll they inflicted during last year’s fighting sapped the young cleric’s support. While still a threat, the militia is less so than when it first took up arms in April 2004, the officials say.<\/p>\n
“We believe Moqtada’s militia is generally marginalized, and there is little to be gained from taking a military role,” said Lt. Col. Bob Taylor, chief intelligence officer for the 3rd Infantry Division, which oversees Baghdad. “But it could still be a threat.”<\/p>\n
Beyond Baghdad, though, Iraqis see a new boldness in the militia in cities like Nasiriyah, Basra and Amarah, all south of the capital and all patrolled by foreign forces allied with the United States. <\/p>\n
In Basra, the Mahdi Army is widely viewed as the force that can put more armed men in the street than any other. Amarah remains its stronghold. In Nasiriyah, it has struck an alliance with the secular police chief, who views the group as a counterweight to other militias.<\/p>\n
“The silent majority is not with him, but the majority of active people are,” said Ayatollah Mohammed Taqi Mudarrassi, a cleric in Karbala, referring to Sadr. “If you count the ballot boxes, the balance is with the moderates. If you count those in the streets, it’s the opposite.”<\/p>\n
The enduring appeal of Sadr’s militia speaks to the forces still shaping Iraq: nationalism, religion and guns.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tens of thousands of Iraqis rally in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 9, 2005. The supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who led uprisings last year against U.S. troops, called Saturday for American forces to withdraw from Iraq. The demonstration … Continue reading