[Dean's World] Dave Price: ISF, Coalition Taking Action Against MIlitias

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Price:
ISF, Coalition Taking Action Against MIlitias 
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1152279553.shtml


   Maliki is [1]making good on his promise.

     BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi forces backed by U.S. aircraft battled
     militants in a Shiite stronghold of eastern Baghdad early Friday,
     killing or wounding more than 30 fighters and capturing an
     extremist leader who was the target of the raid, Iraqi and U.S.
     officials said.
     In another operation, Iraqi troops backed by U.S. soldiers arrested
     a top regional commander of a Shiite militia near Hillah, a U.S.
     statement said. The moves appeared part of a crackdown on sectarian
     militias blamed for the escalation in Shiite-Sunni violence that
     has led to fears of civil war in recent months.
     In a statement Thursday, the U.S. said Iraqi and U.S. forces also
     arrested Adnan al-Unaybi, commander of a Mahdi militia force south
     of Baghdad. The statement said he was arrested north of Hillah,
     about 60 miles south of Baghdad.

   It's going to take time for this show dividends in terms of reduced
   violence, but this is a good start and it shows Maliki is serious
   about curtailing the Shiite militias, whereas up until recently his
   attitude toward them had been something of an open question,
   especially to Sunni Arabs, his rhetoric on the subject
   notwithstanding.
   Ironically, the biggest short-term beneficiary of action against
   Sadr's Mahdi Army may be Sadr himself. These rag-tag militias (notice
   they lost 30 men while the coalition lost none) are very undisciplined
   and don't have a lot of respect for chain-of-command; some of the more
   militant and ambitious groups have taken potshots at Sadr himself, who
   is ostensibly their commander and patron. I get the impression Sadr
   would ideally prefer to be a mini-strongman in the mold of Saddam
   (hence the calls for coalition withdrawal), but he can see the writing
   on the wall and seems to be trying to "go legit" to some extent by
   moving further into the political sphere.

References

   1. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060707/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_060707085620;_ylt=A86.I0nHYK5ETr8A5BhX6GMA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl