Muqtada al-Sadr orders most of his militiamen to disarm

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

BAGHDAD - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered most of his militiamen to disarm but said Friday he will maintain elite fighting units to resist the Americans if a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops is not established.

...

"Weapons are to be exclusively in the hands of one group, the resistance group," while another group called Momahidoun is to focus on social, religious and community work, Sadrist cleric Mudhafar al-Moussawi said.

...

The fighting cells will be "small and limited" and will only launch attacks under direct orders from al-Sadr in case of "dire necessity," the cleric's spokesman Sheik Salah al-Obeidi told The Associated Press in the holy city of Najaf.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

yeah sure.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I thought Clerics were men of peace?

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

I thought Clerics were men of peace?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

yeah sure.

I think it is believable if he believes he can gain from the political scenario that emerges at the end of our occupation.

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

yeah sure.

I think it is believable if he believes he can gain from the political scenario that emerges at the end of our occupation.

notice i'm not holding my breath.

[Pooky 3,787]

BAGHDAD - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered most of his militiamen to disarm but said Friday he will maintain elite fighting units to resist the Americans if a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops is not established.

...

"Weapons are to be exclusively in the hands of one group, the resistance group," while another group called Momahidoun is to focus on social, religious and community work, Sadrist cleric Mudhafar al-Moussawi said.

...

The fighting cells will be "small and limited" and will only launch attacks under direct orders from al-Sadr in case of "dire necessity," the cleric's spokesman Sheik Salah al-Obeidi told The Associated Press in the holy city of Najaf.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

He's only doing it 'cos the locals are fed up with his thugs and their antics since the Iraqi military went up against them and (Shock! Horror!) kicked their butt in Basra and he's losing the "popular" support he once had. To be anywhere once the dust settles he needs some sort of powerbase and if own people are fed up, he needs to do something. Make no mistake, he's a smart cookie, so he's going "nice" in the hopes it will pay off down the line.

P