Crossfire War: al-Sadr Under Iran's Direction Works With and Against Police

By Willard Payne

Night Watch: BAGHDAD - Sometimes they work with the authorities and other times they do not. [Radio Free Europe]

The "they" being the Imam Al Mahdi Army, the militia of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who had long been financed by Tehran. It was no secret, and even mentioned on C-Span by U. S. House Representative Curt Weldon last year before one of Iraq's elections. He was at House hearings on the transfer of power from the U. S. to an elected Iraqi head of state. Weldon mentioned that in the fall of 2003 he was in Paris meeting with former Iranian generals who told him that Tehran was in the process of sending $75-80 million dollars to Muqtada al-Sadr to finance what was to become his uprising against the U. S. led occupation.

Tehran did not want Haliburton as the main presence in Iraq's economy, while at the same time the Council of Guardians also knew the democratic process would increase the influence of the Shi'ite population and therefore Tehran. Washington-London are protecting a government controlled by Tehran.

In using Muqtada al-Sadr as an instrument of its increasing presence in Iraq, sometimes the Al-Mahdi militia attacks the police until, perhaps after some negotiations, convince the local authorities that the militia could work with the police against terror groups, criminals and restore order. This has been a very successful tactic in Baghdad and Al-Basrah, and eventully the Al-Mahdi militia is gradually replacing the police.

In other cities like Samawah, Al-Najaf and Al-Kufah, Muqtada's forces still engage the U. S. and Iraqi police. At the same time, in his late father's tradition, Muqtada al-Sadr also gives aid and support to orphans and widows, which provides him with a humanitarian image, genuinely concerned about his people's condition. In this he is under the guidance of his political advisor Abbas al-Rubayi who in interviews states that the Imam Al-Mahdi militia is "more than a mere militia." He and the militia do not trust Shi'ite groups who they claim fled Iraq under Saddam Hussein and came back riding on American tanks.

This is why Islamic unity will never be perfect and the rivalry, accompanied by occasional firefights may never end completely even long after the occupation is over. In the meantime, speaking for Tehran, Iraq's Prime Minister, knowing that the Bush administration is under more pressure from established circles in the U. S. and UK to accelerate the exit strategy, requested the occupation remain another year. Next year Iran, and the Jihad will be at its peak with all out fighting on several fronts and the Council of Guardians want to see the US/UK lost alliance to continue chasing the Jihad around Iraq, reducing the US/UK presence on other fronts.

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