Infrastructure remains sub-standard in much of Iraq
Bloomberg Nov 25, 08 2:03 PM CST
(Newser)
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Residents of the Sadr City slum of Baghdad have come to accept raw sewage, bubbling to the surface from broken pipes, as a part of daily life, Bloomberg reports. And Sadr City is hardly an oddity—despite 6 years and billions of American dollars, much of Iraq still lacks reliable electricity and running water.
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New York Times Nov 21, 08 6:49 AM CST
(Newser)
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More than 10,000 Muqtada al-Sadr supporters gathered in Baghdad today to protest the US-Iraqi security pact that would keep troops in the country for another 3 years. The protesters hanged an effigy of President Bush from the same plinth Saddam Hussein’s statue was once toppled from by US forces, placing a black bag around Bush’s head in reference to Saddam’s execution.
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Sadr ally allegedly shoves speaker
New York Times Nov 19, 08 3:16 PM CST
(Newser)
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Discussion of the security deal between the US and Iraq deteriorated into a shouting match between members of the Iraqi parliament today, the New York Times reports. Parliament is scheduled to vote on the measure next week, but could not get through a reading of the agreement today before an opposition lawmaker allegedly physically attacked the speaker.
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Tens of thousands gather in protest
Associated Press Oct 18, 08 10:51 AM CDT
(AP)
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Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr today called on Iraq's parliament to reject a US-Iraqi security pact as tens of thousands of his followers rallied in Baghdad against the deal. "The Iraqi government has abandoned its duty before God and its people," Sadr said through a spokesman. "I am with every Sunni, Shiite or Christian who is opposed to the agreement ... and I reject, condemn and renounce the presence of occupying forces."
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Violence is down, but 'it's not durable yet,' says general
New York Times Aug 21, 08 5:37 AM CDT
(Newser)
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David Petraeus is leaving Iraq after 18 months, and by all measures the country is far safer than when he arrived. The "surge" of 30,000 extra American soldiers was bolstered by major domestic developments, from the Muqtada al-Sadr ceasefire to the rise of Sunni awakening councils. But in an interview with the New York Times , the departing general warned that "It’s not durable yet. It’s not self-sustaining."
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Already disbanding Mahdi Army, cleric wants firm US deal
Time Aug 8, 08 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered most of his Mahdi Army to disband today, and offered to completely dismantle it once the US agrees to a withdrawal timetable, Time reports. “The main reason for the armed resistance is the American military presence,” said a Sadr spokesman. “If the American military begins to withdrawal, there will be no need for these armed groups.”
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Mahdi militants said to shift focus to civil service, stabilizing Iraq
Wall Street Journal Aug 4, 08 7:51 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Anti-American Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is shifting his political clout away from militancy, and will disarm his Shiite Mahdi Army in favor of non-violent civic and social endeavors, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hoping to increase stability in Iraq, the organization will take on projects involving education, religion, and social justice.
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Shiite Mahdi Army's extortion and violence alienate residents
New York Times Jul 27, 08 5:38 AM CDT
(Newser)
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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.
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Trade blooms, rebuilding begins,
but suspicions remain
Time Jul 2, 08 1:19 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The turnaround in Sadr City in the last two months has been dramatic—abandoned dusty lots are now markets stocked with piles of produce and teeming with shoppers; storefronts display suits, purses, shoes, and cosmetics, Time reports. The ceasefire between Iraqi PM al-Maliki and radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been successful in stopping violence and the US is working on repairing the slum's shattered infrastructure.
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Militia chief moves toward mainstream, hones clerical chops
Washington Post May 27, 08 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser)
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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.
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No bloodshed so far in peaceful takeover
Los Angeles Times May 20, 08 9:08 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Roughly 10,000 Iraqi troops peacefully marched deep into Sadr City today, the Baghdad ghetto that’s long been a stronghold for Muqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army. The incursion was part of a deal negotiated with Sadr last week, which allowed for inspections so long as the US wasn't involved. "It's like a normal day here," said one resident.
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But truce may not end weeks of violence there
Associated Press May 10, 08 8:06 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Shiite militants have agreed to a cease-fire in Baghdad’s Sadr City, said an aide to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia is concentrated there, the AP reports. Sadrists “will stop fighting in Sadr City and will stop displaying arms in public,” the aide said. “In return, the government will stop random raids against al-Sadr followers and open all closed roads that lead to Sadr City.”
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Top Shiites will probe Tehran's hand in arming, training anti-government forces
New York Times May 1, 08 2:06 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A delegation of Shiite Iraqi officials is heading to Iran to discuss its role in supporting anti-government activity in Iraq, the New York Times reports. The trip marks the first time Iraqi leaders have visited Tehran over the issue. The officials, selected by PM al-Maliki, all have links to Iran, whose support of Shiite militias has long drawn US criticism.
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Violence comes after al-Sadr's plea to end fighting
Los Angeles Times Apr 27, 08 6:35 PM CDT
(Newser)
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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.