The U.S. Battle Against The ‘Soldiers Of Heaven’ In iraq

The Untold Story Of The Battle Against The ‘Soldiers Of Heaven’ -- Army Times

The 11 Special Forces soldiers were speeding along in three Humvees. The call for help had come from an Iraqi army scout.

The Iraqis had moved a little after dawn to arrest what they thought were about 30 potential troublemakers.

The SF team members had no clue they were racing into a 24-hour battle, vastly outnumbered and outgunned by a heavily armed militia of about 800 cult-like Shiite warriors.

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My Comment: One can make a movie on this battle.

An Interactive Map On The History Of Deadly Bomb Attacks In Iraq

Iraq Bombings Interactive Map -- Washington Post

Suicide bomb attacks have killed thousands in Iraq since 2006. After the Coalition led surge in 2007, high casualty attacks were significanly reduced. It remains unclear if that trend will continue now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the country. Use the interactive below to view the human toll up to today.

WNU Editor: This interactive map illustrates attacks that killed more than 20 people. The link to it is here.

Iraq War Death Toll Since 2003 US-Led Invasion Now At 162,000 And Counting

Iraqi soldiers search a car and its occupants at a checkpoint in Baghdad on December 5. Saad Shalash/Reuters

The Iraq War Death Toll? At Least 162,000 And Counting -- Christian Science Monitor

Most concerning in a new report's analysis of the Iraq war death toll is evidence of the high level of violence that's persisted since the civil war ended.

A report released today by Iraq Body Count -- an anti-war group that compiles statistics on confirmed deaths from violence in Iraq -- estimated that the death toll from the start of the Iraq war to the end of 2011 was approximately 162,000 people.

That figure includes US and other foreign troops, Iraqi government forces, members of militias both local and foreign, and civilians. The group found that a minimum of 114,212 civilians have been killed in the Iraq war to date.

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More News On Iraq's War Death Toll

162,000 killed in Iraq war: NGO -- Times of India/AFP
162,000 people killed in Iraq war: NGO -- ABC News/Reuters
Iraq war death toll at 162 000 -- News24
Iraqi civilian deaths climb in 2011 - study -- Reuters
Website says 4,000-plus Iraqi civilians killed in 2011 -- CNN
Iraqi Civilian Deaths Increase In 2011 -- Radio Free Europe

Bomb Attacks In Baghdad Kill Dozens

A bomb attack victim is treated at a hospital near Baghdad's Ur district Photo: REUTERS

Iraq Bomb Blasts: Toll In Baghdad Rises To 36 -- BBC

At least 36 people are now known to have died in the twin bomb blasts which hit Baghdad on Thursday.

The first blast occurred in Ur, a mainly Shia district of northern Baghdad. The second went off as rescuers were evacuating the wounded.

At least 78 people are said to have been injured in the roadside attacks.

There has been a resurgence in militant violence in Baghdad in recent weeks. The last US troops are preparing to leave Iraq by the end of the year.

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More News On Bomb Attacks In Baghdad

Dozens die in surge of violence in Iraq -- AFP
Death toll rises to 36 in twin bomb attack in Iraq -- CNN
Death toll in twin Baghdad bombings rises to 32 -- L.A. Times
Iraq Bombing Death Toll Rises to 32 -- Voice of America
32 Dead in Baghdad's Twin Bombings -- Time/AP
Death toll in Baghdad bombings rises to 30: sources -- Reuters
32 killed in Baghdad blast -- The Telegraph

My Comment: As the final US withdrawal fast approaches, expect Iraq's sectarian violence to increase. An indication of how serious the security situation is becoming in Iraq, check out from this link on what happened yesterday.

Iranian Backed Militants Continue Their War Against US Forces In Iraq

Militants Aided By Iran Fired At G.I.’s In Iraq, Officials Say -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — Militants trained and financed by Iran’s Quds Force attacked United States forces in Iraq on Wednesday, American officials said, continuing a role they have played in recent years in a proxy war between the United States and Iran.

The attack came a day after the Obama administration announced that it had foiled an alleged plot by the Iranian group to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and to bomb Saudi and Israeli embassies.

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Update: Attack on Americans in Iraq backed by Iran -- UPI

My Comment: These actions have resulted in US forces keeping their withdrawal plans secret. Unfortunately for the average Iraqi citizen, the war continues.

Iraq's Civil Unrest And Violence Continues

If You Think Iraq's Secure, Read This About Wednesday's Violence -- McClatchy News

BAGHDAD — A spate of attacks including two parked car bombs and two suicide car bombs driven by suicide bombers targeted police in different districts of Baghdad, Wednesday, killing at least 22 people and wounding around 74 others, security officials said.

One suicide bomber slammed into the Alwiyah police station in the central Karrada district, killing 14 people and wounding 25 others. The other suicide attack targeted the police station in the Hurriyah district in northwest Baghdad, killing four people and wounding 23 others. The greater majority of the casualties were policemen, security officials said.

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My Comment: A more detailed breakdown of Wednesday's violence in Iraq can be found here.

String of Deadly Bomb Attacks Strike Baghdad

A soldier and policemen inspect the site of a bomb attack at a police station in Baghdad's Hurriya district on Wednesday. Reuters

Onslaught Of Attacks Targeting Iraqi Police In Baghdad Kills 25 People -- Washington Post/AP

BAGHDAD — A slew of bombings targeted Iraqi police in Baghdad on Wednesday morning, including blasts by two suicide bombers who tried to ram their vehicles through police station gates. Iraqi officials said 25 people died and dozens more were wounded in the carnage.

The blasts were aimed at the police, generally considered to be the weakest section of the country’s security forces, and emphasized that despite Iraq’s security gains, long-term stability in the country is still elusive.

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More News On Today's Bomb Attacks In Baghdad

Suicide bombers, attacks hit Baghdad police, 28 dead -- Reuters
Slew of deadly bombings target Baghdad police -- MSNBC
Insurgents Attack Security Forces Across Baghdad -- New york Times
Bombings target Iraqi police -- Washington Post
25 Killed in Slew of Attacks Targeting Iraq Police -- FOX News/AP
Iraq bombs: Police targeted in capital Baghdad -- BBC
Deadly car bombings strike Baghdad -- Al Jazeera

Anti-American Cleric Moktada al-Sadr Calls On His Followers To Cease Attacks On US Soldiers

Iraqi Cleric Tells Followers To Halt Attacks -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — The anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr called on his followers on Saturday to cease their attacks on United States military forces in Iraq, saying that he did not want the Americans to have an excuse to remain in the country, according to a statement posted on a Web site of his political party.

But if the American troops do not leave by the end of the year, the attacks should resume, the statement said.

It could not be independently confirmed that the statement was from Mr. Sadr.


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More News On Moktada al-Sadr Calling On His Followers To Suspend Attacks Against U.S. Forces

Iraq's Sadr orders halt to US troop attacks -- AFP
Iraq's Sadr says to halt attacks on U.S. troops -- Reuters
Iraq cleric to followers: Stop attacking US troops -- AP
Iraqi Shi'ite Leader Orders No Attacks On U.S. Troops Ahead Of Pullout -- Radio Free Europe
Anti-American cleric in Iraq asks followers to cease attacks on US troops to hasten withdrawal -- Washington Post
Iraq's Sadr halts militia attack against withdrawing U.S. troop -- Xinhuanet
Iraq cleric says his forces could attack US troops -- Independent

Suicide Bomb Attacks Have Killed More Than 12,000 Iraqis Since The Start Of The War

An Iraqi soldier inspects the scene of a bomb blast in the north Baghdad district of Sadr City on May 22, 2011.

Study: Suicide Bomb Attacks Kill More Than 12,000 Iraqis -- CNN

Suicide bombers are responsible for killing more than 12,000 Iraqi civilians and wounding more than 30,000 since the war began, according to study released by the British medical journal Lancet.

The study found that 1,003 documented suicide bombings accounted for 12,284 of 108,624 Iraqi civilian deaths, 11% of those killed between March 20, 2003, and December 31, 2010.

It also found such attacks accounted for 30,644 -- or 26% -- of the 117,165 documented cases of Iraqi civilians wounded within the same period.

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My Comment: I expected a higher number .... which tells me that such attacks .... while successful at killing scores of people and wounding even more .... is actually used more as a mass psychological weapon, instilling fear and terror and paralysis in government and the civilian population at large.

Extremists In Iraq Are Trying To Provoke A Sectarian War

Iraqis Hold Funerals For Suicide Bomb Victims -- Voice of America

Iraqis are holding funerals for some of the 28 people killed in Sunday's suicide bomb attack at the largest Sunni mosque in Baghdad.

A mosque official said Monday the bomber had disguised himself as a bandaged beggar and had gone to the blue-domed Um al-Qura mosque for a number of days to become familiar to the guards. He said the bomber hid explosives in his bandages and detonated them during a special prayer service for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Interior Ministry officials said Sunni lawmaker Khalid al-Fahdawi, a representative from western Anbar Province, was among those killed in the blast.

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More News On The Mosque Suicide Bombing In Iraq

Baghdad mosque attack victims buried -- AFP
Mourners gather at Umm al-Qura mosque in Baghdad for blast victims -- RFI
Report: Iraq mosque bomb targeted moderate Sunnis -- Jerusalem Post
Iraq mosque bomb targeted moderate Sunnis-officials -- Reuters
28 Are Killed in Bombing at a Mosque in Baghdad -- New York Times
Al Qaeda suicide bomber kills 28 Iraqis in attack in Baghdad mosque -- Long War Journal
Bomber of Baghdad mosque disguised self as beggar -- AP
Baghdad mosque bomber disguised self as beggar -- ABC News
Suicide bomber kills at least 28 in Baghdad’s largest Sunni mosque -- Washington Post
At least 28 die in Iraq bombing -- L.A. Times
Bomb attacks in Iraq kill at least 35 -- UPI
Timeline: Deadliest attacks in Iraq in last year -- Reuters

Widespread Attacks Kill Over 80 In Iraq

Attacks Across Iraq Kill More Than 80 -- Washington Post

BAGHDAD — More than 80 people were killed and dozens were wounded Monday in a string of attacks across Iraq, the deadliest day in the country this year, police and government officials said.

In the worst incident, two bombs exploded in a busy market in the city center of Kut, killing at least 42 people and injuring more than 50.

In an apparently coordinated series of attacks Monday morning, bombings cut a swath from the northern city of Kirkuk to the pricey Mansour district of Baghdad and south to Najaf. Elsewhere, assailants wielding AK-47s targeted anti-terrorism leaders in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad.

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More News On The Bloodshed In Iraq

Daylong wave of violence in Iraq kills 89 -- Boston.com/New York Times
Al-Qaida threat in Iraq resurges in 42 attacks -- Seattle Times/New York Times
Onslaught leaves scores dead in Iraq -- StlToday
Gunmen kill four members of government-backed Iraqi militia -- The Guardian
Iraq bomb blasts across 13 cities leave dozens dead -- The Guardian
Attacks that appear linked kill dozens in Iraq -- Kansas City/McClatchy News
Dozens Killed as Wave of Violence Strikes Iraq -- Voice of America
Iraq bomb attacks blamed on al-Qaeda -- The Telegraph
Iraqis furious over series of bomb blasts -- Gulf News
Iraq attacks raise new concerns about U.S. pullout -- L.A. Times
What the attacks in Iraq tell us -- Christian Science Monitor
Iraq, the forgotten war -- Babak Dehghanpisheh, The Daily Beast

Tensions In Kirkuk Give Reasons For Why Some U.S. Soldiers Must Stay In Iraq

Kirkuk Is A 'Land Mine' Where All Sides Want U.S. To Stay -- McClatchy News

KIRKUK, Iraq — If civil war were to resume in Iraq, a dread event that could spell the breakup of the world's next great oil power, Kirkuk is the likely epicenter.

It doesn't take much to set ethnic tensions to boil in this oil-rich province of 850,000, also named Kirkuk, which Kurds consider their Jerusalem but which Arabs and Turkomen also claim. An altercation on a street in the city of Kirkuk, a riot in a nearby Arab town and a car bombing shook the peace in the first half of this year, pitting Kurds against Arabs in a manner that Sunni Arab extremists are only too eager to exploit.

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My Comment: The U.S. military is the only neutral organization that is independent from Iraq's ethnic/religious/sectarian battles. Unfortunately .... while it may make sense to have some U.S. soldiers based in places like Kirkuk .... the sentiment in Baghdad is different, and they want these troops out.

Top U.S. General Says Iranian Weapons Killing Americans In Iraq

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (File photo)

U.S. Military Leader Says Iranian Weapons Killing Americans In Iraq -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Fresh warnings came from the Pentagon on Thursday that Iran is supporting extremist militias in Iraq that are killing U.S. troops.

And Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said any potential agreement with Iraq for U.S. forces to stay on beyond the end-of-the-year deadline must confront the issue of Iranian involvement.

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More News On Adm. Mullen Accusing Iran of Supplying Deadlier Weapons To Iraqi Insurgents

Adm. Mullen: Flow of arms from Iran to Iraqi militias widens -- USA Today
Mullen accuses Iran of arming anti-US forces in Iraq -- Kansas City/McClatchy News
Mullen Accuses Tehran of Arming Iraq Militias -- Wall Street Journal
Any force deal with Iraq must address Iran: Mullen -- Reuters
U.S. Troop Extension in Iraq Hinges on Iranian Attacks -- Bloomberg
Iran Killing American Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan -- Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
Iranian Weapons 'Killing Our Troops' in Iraq, U.S. Says -- David Wood, Huffington Post

Bombings Kill Dozens In Iraq

At Least 35 Killed in Iraq Bombings -- Voice of America

Two bombs have exploded outside a government building north of Baghdad, killing at least 35 people.

Iraq officials said a car bomb and another explosive went off Tuesday in the town of Taji, about 20 kilometers north of the capital. They say more than two dozen people were wounded in the blasts.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

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More News On Today's Bombings In Iraq

Iraq: Twin bombing near Baghdad after Green Zone attack -- BBC
Twin blasts kill dozens near Baghdad -- Al Jazeera
Officials: Attack Kills 35 People North Of Baghdad -- NPR/AP
Dozens Die in Attack on Iraqi Town -- New York Times
Iraq double bombing kills at least 27 -- The Guardian
35 Iraqis killed in twin bomb attacks in north of Baghdad -- Xinhuanet
Thirty five killed in twin suicide attack near Baghdad -- RFI

My Comment: You would think that after 8 years of war, killings, and bombings .... this carnage would slowly dissipate with time .... think again. Iraqi lawmakers .... in their infinite wisdom .... believe that this would help the situation (a point of view that I disagree with, but one that I hope would still not stop the American withdrawal from Iraq).

One British Woman And The Agonising Search For The Missing Millions In Iraq

Isabelle Stead of Iraq's Missing Campaign. Last year she produced an award-winning film, Son Of Babylon, about an Iraqi woman's search for her son who went missing under Saddam Hussain

The Ghosts Of Baghdad: One British Woman And The Agonizing Search For The Missing Millions In Iraq -- The Daily Mail

Post-Saddam, a 31-year-old filmmaker is helping the Iraqi people to achieve the impossible: identify the army of dead - and release the bereaved families from their torment

Two young men look intently at the computers that control their slideshow. They don’t see the images that are projecting onto four screens fitted to the wall beside them. This is quite deliberate. They are solely for the benefit of their small audience.

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My Comment: One thing that I have learned about armed conflicts is the agony that families go through in not knowing if a missing love one is a prisoner, in hiding, injured, or dead. Closure is so important to move on .... and for many families .... Iraq being one of them .... closure is a commodity that is in short supply.

Iraq Violence Is Escalating With 3 U.S. Soldiers Killed Today

AFP/Getty Images

Iraq Combat Operations Over? -- Christian Science Monitor

June has been the worst month for US troops in two years. And violence is surging in Afghanistan.

The Iraq war is winding down. It's been 10 months since the US declared an end to "combat operations" in the country and US troop levels are at their lowest levels since the war started in 2003.

The war itself feels all but ignored by the general public here at home. On the desk at the Monitor, Internet traffic is our lifeblood and we follow how many "hits" individual stories receive. For at least a year now, it's felt like all our Iraq stories – whether features with strong, unique reporting; analysis pieces on the security situation; or simply straightforward accounts of a major bombing or political meeting – can't get any traction at all.

Yet, this month has been the deadliest for US troops in Iraq in two years.

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More News On Iraq

Rocket attack kills 3 American soldiers in Iraq -- Yahoo News/AP
June deadliest month for U.S. in Iraq since '08 -- Reuters
U.S. Monthly Combat Deaths in Iraq at 3-Year High -- New York Times
Three US soldiers killed in southern Iraq -- BBC
Iraq rocket attack kills three American soldiers -- The Guardian
June bloodiest month for U.S. in Iraq in 2 years -- CBS
Three U.S. troops killed in southern Iraq -- UPI
Iraq: 15 US troops killed this month -- Al Bawaba
U.S. military sees Iran behind rising troop deaths in Iraq -- Washington Post

Iraq cleric pursues U.S. troop ban in strongholds -- Reuters
Iraq Sunni politician talks of secession, angers allies -- Alertnet
Separate attacks kill four in Iraq -- Press TV
Two attempts to assassinate Interior Ministry officers in Baghdad fioled -- Aswat al-Iraq
Iraqi former female minister wounded in grenade attack -- People's Daily
Iraq Oil Assets May Be at Risk of Seizure -- Bloomberg
Iraqi oil assets subject to seizure? -- UPI
Iraq Oil Assets May Be at Risk of Seizure as UN Mandate Expires -- SFGate/Bloomoberg
Iraqi pilgrims swarm Baghdad to mark imam's death -- Yahoo News/AP
Iraqi Kurdish leader boosts power to disputed city -- Boston.com/AP

Timeline: Iraq 2003 - 2011 -- Al Jazeera
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,466 -- AP

Iraq News Updates -- June 27, 2011

US soldiers in Iraq (file photo)

Spike in U.S. Deaths in Iraq Raises Worries -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — Two American soldiers were killed Sunday in Iraq, the military command said, making June the worst month in combat-related fatalities for United States forces in Iraq in more than two years. The casualties also reflected the dangers ahead as the United States prepares to withdraw all its troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

The June total of so-called hostile-related deaths of American soldiers is now 11, the most since May 2009, when 12 were killed, according to icasualties.org, an online database that tracks the deaths of foreign forces in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

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More News On The Spike In Violence In Iraq

Military spokesman: Violence down in Iraq -- UPI
US soldier dies in southern Iraq -- AJC/AP
Two U.S. Troops Die In Iraq; 11 Total This Month -- CBS News
2 U.S. service members killed in Iraq Sunday -- Washington Post
Two Americans killed in Iraq -- CNN
2 U.S. troops killed in northern Iraq -- USA Today

Bomber in wheelchair kills 3 in Iraq -- Boston.com/AP
Widow of al Qaeda leader sentenced in Iraq -- CNN
Iraq Court Gives Al Qaeda Leader's Wife Life Sentence -- New York Times/Reuters
Cleric thanks followers for pledging to attack U.S. military in Iraq -- CNN
Sadr supporters ready for attacks on US troops -- AFP
Iraqi Shiites fear security vacuum when US troops leave -- The National
In Iraq, Sunni deaths stir sectarian fears -- Washington Post
In Ramadi, Distrust Threatens Iraq’s Gains -- New York Times
Bitter Feud Between Top Iraqi Leaders Stalls Government -- New York Times

Iraq Still Deadly For U.S. Troops

Two U.S. Troops Die In Iraq; 11 Total This Month -- CBS News

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military says two American troops have been killed in northern Iraq while conducting operations.

The military said in a statement that the service members were killed Sunday.

No further details were immediately available, and the names of the dead are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The deaths bring to 4,465 the number of American troops who have died in Iraq. That's according to an Associated Press count.

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More News On How Iraq Is Still Deadly For U.S. Troops

2 U.S. service members killed in Iraq Sunday -- Washington Post
Two Americans killed in Iraq -- CNN
2 U.S. troops killed in northern Iraq -- USA Today
Sunday: 2 US Soldiers, 17 Iraqis Killed; 33 Iraqis Wounded -- Antiwar.com
FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, June 26 -- Reuters

Violence On The Upswing In Iraq

Iraq Bomb Attacks Kills U.S. Contractor, 33 People In Market -- L.A. Times

The civilian contractor and another American who was wounded in the blast were attacked in eastern Baghdad, the U.S. Embassy reports. Hours later, three bombs kill 33 and injure at least 82 others at a market in a Shiite neighborhood.

Reporting from Baghdad — A U.S civilian contractor was killed and another American wounded in a bomb attack in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Hours later, at least 33 people were killed when three bombs ripped a street market in a Shiite neighborhood in the capital.

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More News On Iraq

U.S. contractor slain in Baghdad attack -- CNN
Iraq: Terrorist Attack on American Convoy in Baghdad -- U.S. Department of Defense
Many killed in triple blasts in south Baghdad -- BBC
Blasts rip through western Baghdad, killing 40 -- Forbes/AP
Three bombs in Baghdad market kill more than 20, injure scores -- Washington Post
Baghdad market bomb blitz kills 21 -- AFP
Iraq blasts kill at least 23, scores wounded -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Iraq's Maliki wants to downsize government -- Reuters
Maliki Says Iraq’s Poorly Performing Ministers May Be Replaced -- Bloomberg
Iraq PM says bloated government must be trimmed -- AFP
Hard times looming for Iraq's Kurds -- Thomas E. Ricks, Best Defense/Foreign Policy

Are Iraq's Militia's Losing The Will To Continue The Fight?

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and Moqtada al-Sadr

Iraq's Mehdi Army Faces Splits, Wary Of Return To War -- Yahoo News/Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq's anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is reviving fears of sectarian violence with a warning he will unleash his Shi'ite Mehdi Army militia again if U.S. forces stay in the country beyond a year-end deadline.

But for Mehdi Army veterans like Ahmed, who once battled U.S. troops on Baghdad's streets, the fighting days are over as Sadr's militia enters mainstream politics, struggles with splinter groups, and ex-combatants resist a return to war.

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My Comment:It is hard to fight for a man who was quick to run to Iran when the fighting started to get intense and bloody in 2008. While I am sure there are many men in the Shi'ite Mehdi Army militia who would be willing to fight .... I also suspect that there are many who have no stomach to wage another bloody war against U.S. and what is now better trained Iraqi soldiers .