Mahdi Army news stories on Newser

US Officers: We Executed Handcuffed Iraqi Captives

Rob Quinn — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:29:52 CDT

Three US officers shot four blindfolded and handcuffed Iraqi detainees early last year and dumped their bodies in a canal, according to statements made to military investigators and obtained by the New York Times . The men are likely to face murder charges. Four others from the same platoon have been...

Maturing Iraqi Army Enabled US Troop Deal

Jason Farago — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:40:01 CDT

The US's preliminary agreement with Iraq to withdraw most combat troops by 2011 would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. Declining levels of violence, a ceasefire with the Mahdi Army, and the about-face of Sunni leaders have all helped, the Wall Street Journal reports, but for the administration,...

Sadr Offers to Trade Militia for Set Timetable

Kevin Spak — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:13:01 CDT

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...

Sadr to Forge Peaceful Corps from Shiite Army

Sam Biddle — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:51:00 CDT

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...

Militia Power Wanes as Iraqi Government Gains

Matt Cantor — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:38:34 CDT

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...

Sadr Cultivates Respect, Image to Reflect Power

Sam Gale Rosen — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:49:53 CDT

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...

Iraqi Army Rolls Into Sadr City

Kevin Spak — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:08:37 CDT

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...

US Rocket Attack Damages Iraqi Hospital

Kevin Spak — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:16:59 CDT

At least 28 people were wounded when US rockets struck near a Sadr City hospital today, destroying a fleet of ambulances, Reuters reports. The US says the attack was targeting a nearby militia “command and control” center. Hospital windows were shattered, but no patients were injured. The attack came amid...

Green Zone Strike Kills 2 in Sandstorm

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:35:10 CDT

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...