Militias Shell Green Zone in Baghdad

Assault on US-protected compound could hurt al-Sadr's credibility
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 23, 2008 1:57 PM CST
Militias Shell Green Zone in Baghdad
Iraqis hold Muqtada al-Sadr's portrait in the city of Kufa, Iraq, after prayers Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced Friday that he has extended a cease-fire order to his Shiite Mahdi Army by another six months, giving Iraq a chance to continue its fragile recovery from...   (Associated Press)

A volley of rockets or mortar rounds hit Iraq’s Green Zone today, causing no injuries except perhaps to the credibility of a Shiite militia cease-fire extended just one day ago. The AP reports that nearly 10 explosions were heard inside the zone, which houses the American embassy, Iraqi government headquarters, and thousands of US troops. It's the fourth such attack this week.

The blasts follow the exension of a 6-month cease-fire against coalition forces by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. But after the assaults, US officials may come to doubt al-Sadr’s sway with splinter groups backed by Iran, the Los Angeles Times reports. The week's previous attacks killed more than 30 Iraqis, a US official said. (More Muqtada al-Sadr stories.)

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