Shia Leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Coalition Set To Win Iraq Election

Reuters: Cleric Sadr, in surprise comeback, seems set to win Iraq election

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a long-time adversary of the United States, led in Iraq’s parliamentary election with more than half the votes counted on Monday, the electoral commission said, in a surprise turn of fortune for the Shi’ite leader.

In the first election since Islamic State was defeated in the country, Shi’ite militia chief Hadi al-Amiri’s bloc, which is backed by Iran, was in second place, while Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, once seen as the front-runner, trailed in third position.

The preliminary results were based on a count of more than 95 percent of the votes cast in 10 of Iraq’s 18 provinces.

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More News On Reports That Shia Leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Coalition Is Set To Win The Iraq Election

Iraq election: Prime minister trails rivals -- BBC
Cleric who fought US takes surprise lead in Iraq elections -- The Guardian
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi trails in preliminary election results -- DW
Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr leading in Iraq's election -- Al Jazeera
Iraq elections: Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr's coalition takes early lead -- UPI
Cleric who bloodied US and pro-Iran fighter frontrunners in Iraq vote -- AFP
Early Results in Iraq Election Favor Populist Cleric Al-Sadr -- Bloomberg
Iraq election: Polls show Iraqi PM lags behind Shia rivals -- Al Jazeera
Disillusionment appears to help Shiite cleric in Iraq vote -- AP

Iraq's Radical Leader Al-Sadr Warns U.S. Soldiers Are Targets For His Followers

Female supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr march in Baghdad in May, with one holding a sign saying, "No, No to the Occupation!". Radio Free Europe

Anti-American Iraqi Cleric Pens English-Language Letter To US troops, Calls On Them To Leave -- Washington Post

BAGHDAD — A powerful anti-American Shiite cleric called Tuesday on U.S. troops in Iraq to leave the country and go back to their families or risk more attacks.

Muqtada al-Sadr’s comments came in a rare statement translated into English and directed at U.S. troops in Iraq. The statement was posted on his website.

In it, the Shiite cleric appealed directly to the roughly 46,000 U.S. troops still in the country and said Iraq does not need their help.

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More News On Iraq's Al-Sadr Warnings Against U.S. Soldiers

Radical Cleric Al-Sadr Warns U.S. Forces to Leave Iraq -- FOX News
Iraq's Sadr tells US troops to go home -- AFP
Iraq’s Al-Sadr Tells US Troops to Leave or Face Resistance -- Voice of America
Moktada al-Sadr Warns U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq -- New York Times/AP
U.S. military trainers could be targets: Iraq's Sadr -- Reuters
Iraq's Sadr warns against post-2011 US presence -- AFP
Iraq's Sadr Warns Of Backlash If U.S. Troops Stay Past Deadline -- Radio Free Europe

Promise Of Peace As Baghdad Humbles Rebel Army

A Rally By Supporters Of Muqtada al-Sadr, And The Mahdi Army April 9, 2007

From The Scotland On Sunday:

THE Mahdi Army, once the biggest defender of poor Shi'ites in Iraq, has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighbourhoods across Baghdad, in an important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq.

It is a remarkable change from recent years, when the militia, led by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, controlled a broad swath of Baghdad, including local governments and police forces. But its use of extortion and violence began alienating much of the Shi'ite population to the point that many quietly supported American military sweeps against the group.

Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki struck another blow this spring when he led a military operation against it in Baghdad and in several southern cities.

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My Comment: In their over confidence and arrogance, they assumed that they would be there forever. NOT .....