Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Iraqi PM: No Elections for Militias

Mahdi Army must disband, Maliki says, or lose political power

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 7, 2008 8:32 AM CDT

(Newser) – Muqtada al-Sadr and his loyalists will be banned from upcoming elections if the Mahdi Army doesn't disband, Nouri al-Maliki said today, in his toughest rhetoric yet against the popular cleric. Sadrists say the Iraqi PM has no constitutional power to make that threat, but even... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

Maliki delivers his ultimatum on CNN
CNN

Sadr: I'll disband my militia - if religious leaders say so
Australia's News Network

Maliki attacks Blackwater contract
AFP

World

Iraq • Sadr City • Mahdi Army • Green Zone • Nouri al-Maliki • Iraq government • Sadrists • Iraqi militias • Muqtada al-Sadr

More Newser Stories

Sadr Threatens to End Truce

Mahdi Army leader, 'worried' for Iraqis' safety, cancels anti-US protest

(NEWSER) - Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr today threatened to end the cease-fire he imposed last year on his Mahdi militia, CNN reports, and called off a massive protest set for tomorrow, the fifth anniversary of the end of Saddam Hussein’s rule. Hundreds had converged on Baghdad—despite orders to keep young men out—before Sadr called off the event. More»

Militia Power Wanes as Iraqi Government Gains

Shiite Mahdi Army's extortion and violence alienate residents

(NEWSER) - The sway of a key Iraqi militia has declined significantly and it's losing control of its Baghdad strongholds to the government, the New York Times reports. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army once controlled politics and police in areas throughout the city, but supporters became disenchanted by its violence and extortion as American and Iraqi forces hammered the group. More»

Sadr Cultivates Respect, Image to Reflect Power

Militia chief moves toward mainstream, hones clerical chops

(NEWSER) - Muqtada al-Sadr aims to shed his reputation as a dim-witted thug and become a respected Iraqi cleric like his father, the Washington Post reports, and has even spent the past year studying in Iran. Sadr, then nicknamed "Muqtada Atari" for his love of video games, was 25 when the 1999 assassination of his father left him head of Iraq's largest Shiite opposition group. More»

Green Zone Strike Kills 2 in Sandstorm

Violence comes after al-Sadr's plea to end fighting

(NEWSER) - Hidden in a sandstorm, militants struck the US-protected Green Zone in Baghdad today and killed at least two Iraqis, the Los Angeles Times reports. The mortar or rocket attack, which also wounded 25, came just 2 days after influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered members of his Mahdi Army to end recent fighting. More»

Iraqi Assault on Basra Was 'Thrown Together'

Americans taken aback by Maliki's hasty, improvised raid

(NEWSER) - American officials were expecting a gradual, methodical operation when Nouri al-Maliki moved Iraqi troops into Basra to restore order in the city. What they witnessed instead was a rush job: an Iraqi raid that had little forethought and began even before the last of the soldiers had arrived. "He went in with a stick and he poked a hornet's nest," one coalition official told the New York Times. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Iraqi PM: No Elections for Militias

Mahdi Army must disband, Maliki says, or lose political power

Iraq • Sadr City • Mahdi Army • Green Zone • Nouri al-Maliki • Iraq government • Sadrists • Iraqi militias • Muqtada al-Sadr

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Sadr Threatens to End Truce

Mahdi Army leader, 'worried' for Iraqis' safety, cancels anti-US protest

Militia Power Wanes as Iraqi Government Gains

Shiite Mahdi Army's extortion and violence alienate residents

Sadr Cultivates Respect, Image to Reflect Power

Militia chief moves toward mainstream, hones clerical chops

Green Zone Strike Kills 2 in Sandstorm

Violence comes after al-Sadr's plea to end fighting

Iraqi Assault on Basra Was 'Thrown Together'

Americans taken aback by Maliki's hasty, improvised raid

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?