World-News

The US blames the latest attacks on rogue Mahdi Army elements tied to Iran, but analysts say the spike in fighting with Shiite militants potentially opens a second front in the war when the American military is still doing battle with the Sunni extremists of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0326/p01s13-woiq.html



Mahdi Army Stands Firm in its Basra Neighborhoods

By Juan Cole

The US faced a dilemma in Iraq. It needed to have new provincial elections in an attempt to mollify the Sunni Arabs, especially in Sunni-majority provinces like Diyala, which has nevertheless been ruled by the Shiite Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. But if they have provincial elections, their chief ally, the Islamic Supreme Council, might well lose southern provinces to the Sadr Movement.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19625.htm


From Information Clearing House



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Mahdi+Army
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=sadr
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Shiite+militants
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Sunni+extremists
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Basra
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Juan+Cole