Sadr and the Americans

Between 2001 and 2007, the U.S. Congress approved a budget of $700 billion for the war, first in Afghanistan, and then, of course, in Iraq. For 2008, George Bush has just requested an additional $70 billion, on the basis of the military success obtained in Baghdad, particularly the drop in the number of bombings and inter-religious violence.

The American president and his commanders in the field carefully avoid pointing out that this improvement has been obtained above all thanks to the strategy adopted by their worst enemy, young radical Shiite leader Moqtada Al-Sadr. Sponsored by Iran, his militia – the several thousand-man strong “Mehdi Army” – has been evaluated by American guerilla specialists as “more dangerous than Al Qaeda.”

Sadr declared a truce and supported the American offensive in Baghdad… like a rope supports the hanged man. Officially, while his men have laid down their guns, Moqtada Al-Sadr is in Iran, studying theology to become an erudite and respected Ayatollah. In fact, his troops have infiltrated the Iraqi security agencies, particularly the information services and the anti-terrorism units. And he just extended the cease-fire after it had expired.

“Sadr observed, probably with great satisfaction, the success achieved in Baghdad by American forces”

Al-Sadr’s ambiguous double-dealing illustrates the fragility of the U.S.’s position on the ground. He calls for the withdrawal of American troops, pulls his cabinet ministers out of the government and stirs up Shiite nationalism and anti-American sentiment. He demands the departure of American forces, when he doesn’t actually want them to leave until after Iraqi security forces – Shiite, for the most part – have been completely trained. He publicly criticizes groups supported by Iran – which is his own case. He courts anti-American Sunnite movements, but his militia fights them fiercely and executes their members. And it’s for precisely that reason that he approves the troop surge announced by George W. Bush in January, 2007, when the U.S. president declared that he had committed 21,500 additional American troops to Iraq in order to wrest back control of the capital. Sadr observed, probably with great satisfaction, the success achieved in Baghdad by American forces, which are clearing the way for him by gradually eliminating his chief rivals, the Sunnite militias, from the Iraqi capital. This veritable politico-religious cleansing allows him to look forward to being able to seize control of Baghdad and its suburbs soon… with a little help from Washington.

Translated by : Regan Kramer