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Al-Sadr: New force to fight U.S. in Iraq

* Story Highlights
* Sources: Muqtada Al-Sadr apparently embracing what U.S. calls rogue militants
* Shiite cleric's Mehdi Army has operated under cease-fire since last summer
* Al-Sadr says there'll be no stop to resistance in Iraq "until liberation or martyrdom"

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is establishing a new fighting force to battle U.S.-led troops in Iraq, he said in a letter read in Iraqi mosques Friday.

Al-Sadr's letter said that "the resistance will be exclusively conducted by only one group. This new group will be defined soon by me."

Al-Sadr's militia, the Mehdi Army, has a strong and ubiquitous presence in Shiite cities, towns and neighborhoods.

Sources familiar with al-Sadr said they believe he's trying to embrace what the U.S. calls "Special Groups," the Iranian-backed Shiite militants, including rogue Mehdi Army members who have been fighting American and Iraqi troops despite a cease-fire that the cleric declared in August.

The mainstream Mehdi Army has operated under the cease-fire, which dramatically reduced violence in Iraq. During that time, however, there has been fighting between U.S. and Iraqi troops and members of the Mehdi Army, with many of the battles this spring in the southern city of Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood.

In the latest fighting overnight, American-led coalition forces killed five and arrested two Special Groups members near Hilla, south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

In the letter, al-Sadr said, "The weapons will be held exclusively by this new group, and they should be pointed exclusively at the occupier," adding that he will forbid the group "to target anyone else."

The letter added, "We will not stop resisting the occupation until liberation or martyrdom."

Al-Sadr is transitioning much of the rest of the Mehdi Army into a civilian movement dealing with "religious, social and cultural affairs," according to the letter.

That part of the Mehdi Army will not be involved in militancy but will "fight the Western ideology and liberate the minds from domination and globalization."

The letter said al-Sadr would disown anyone in the Mehdi Army who disobeys his new command. It was read at mosques affiliated with the cleric's movement.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials, frustrated by the lack of success in negotiations with the United States over a long-term security agreement, are contemplating a new tack -- pulling out of security talks and developing their own legislation that would dictate the shape of the American military presence in Iraq.

Haidar Abadi, an aide to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, announced the move in remarks Thursday.

The talks have sparked concern among Iraqis that a bilateral security pact will compromise their country's sovereignty.

The United States has said it hopes to secure a status of forces agreement by the end of July. At present, a U.N. mandate governs the American military presence through the end of the year.

You must love this guy!

WTF,
we landed on the moon & mars..
and we can't take out this flea.

Rika

For chrissake how is this clown allowed to continue breathing?

Haven't we "held our fire" on this guy long enough?

Because without his backing, the farce of a government that we have installed would cease almost immediately and THEN the Shiite revolution (somewhat held in check by Al Sadrs' "ceasefire") would begin in ernest. IMO, it's inevitable anyways, but we DO like to spend billions delaying the inevitable. We've dug ourselves such a freakin' hole. "AQ in Iraq" has NEVER been the real enemy imo, but the Islamic fundamentalists (Shiites) sure are, and that's who our policies are eventually going to leave in charge...brilliant :(.

how long before Iran takes over Iraq, peacefully?

Held our fire? Are you serious? We do not have the ability to get him. If we did we would have a long time ago. Last time we, or rather the Iraqis, tried to take his army on directly the Iraqis ended up basically surendering. If he wanted to he could march on Al Maliki and take his desk from him without us being able to do anything about it. That's what you get when you invade a country with a fraction of the troops your own counterinsurgency manual says you would need to pacify an occupied country and then spend four years pretending that everything is going according to plan. If we had done it right the first time he wouldn't be a problem to us now.

I don't think there will a "take over" (no need to, they are pals with the majority of Iraq), but they sure are going to be in step...

The second we are gone. I am begining to not care. In a way this is like VietNam, they want us to pay the bill and do the fighting.

so you are saying our tax $ and our Servicemen paid for Iran to take over Iraq?

Follow the money.

Too much money being made by a very few because of this on-going and never ending war.

That was back when we had ballsSmileWavy

When was that? WWII?

I don't see that in there, not my words, not my thoughts. What are you saying?

U Boyz are a little behind the times....pre surge times that is...

The situation in Iraq is a bit different now...

Sadr is rattling the saber because his power is being diminished, and Iran's influence is being seen as being detrimental to Iraqie interest. Al Qaedeas interests are also being seen as being detrimental to Iraqie interest.


The desire for some kind of stability in country is what is motivating the Iraqies at this point..If one recalls it was the Iraqie Army under Maliki taht took on Iranian and ****ie militia down in Bassara a few weeks back...

U Boyz are a little behind the times....pre surge times that is...

The situation in Iraq is a bit different now...

Sadr is rattling the saber because his power is being diminished, and Iran's influence is being seen as being detrimental to Iraqie interest. Al Qaedeas interests are also being seen as being detrimental to Iraqie interest.


The desire for some kind of stability in country is what is motivating the Iraqies at this point..If one recalls it was the Iraqie Army under Maliki taht took on Iranian and ****ie militia down in Bassara a few weeks back...