Al-Mahdi Army Militias Routed Without A Shot Fired

Moqtada al-Sadr

From the Times Online:

They came at dawn, thousands of Iraqi troops and US special forces on a mission to reclaim a lawless city from the militias who ran it.

By the end of the day, al-Amarah was under Iraqi Government control - without a shot being fired.

The city had been taken over by the Shia al-Mahdi Army two years ago after British troops handed it to an ill-prepared Iraqi Army. “We can't say al-Amarah was entirely bad, there are good people here, poor people. But the city was controlled by the al-Mahdi Army, and these people are all backed by Iran,” said Captain Hussein Ali of the Scorpion police brigade, one of the Iraqi units drafted in to take part in Operation Omen of Peace.

Read more ....

News On this Operation In Iraq From Other Sources:
Military victory, political defeat -- Al-Ahram
Will Sadr gain from Amarah offensive? -- Middle East Times
Iran, Sadr get the Amarah shaft from Maliki -- Hot Air
Iraqi troops move into militia-held city of Amara -- International Herald Tribune

My Comment: Middle East news organizations are touting this as a victory for Sadr. I have a different opinion. In the past Sadr has always had his militia's battle U.S. and Iraqi forces .... and he lost badly. His calls for massive demonstrations have produced turn-outs that are laughable. He tries to rule from Iran, but his absence has created a leadership vacuum that is demoralizing his followers.

He is operating from a position of weakness. In the past, when he felt that everything was going his way, he always exercised his power. He clearly does not feel this anymore.

In the provincial elections coming up, Sadr, because of his family's history and name, will do well .... but not as well as some are predicting.