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Mahdi Army

(Redirected fromMahdi militia)

For the Mahdist army in 19th-century Sudan, seeMuhammad Ahmad.

TheMahdi Army(Arabic:جيش المهدي) orJaish Al-Imam Mahdi ' a'ajal allahu farajah' (Arabic:جيش الإمام المهدي عجل الله فرجه) orThe Army of Imam Mahdi ' (May God hasten his re-appearence)was anIraqiShiamilitiacreated byMuqtada al-Sadrin June 2003 and disbanded in 2008.[9]

Army of imam Mahdi (May God hasten His re-appearence)
جيش الإمام المهدي عجل الله فرجه
LeadersMuqtada al-Sadr
Dates of operation2003–2008
HeadquartersNajaf,Kufa,Sadr City
Active regionsIraq
IdeologyIraqi nationalism
Sadrist Thought
Anti-Wahhabi
ShiaIslamism[1]
ShiaJihad[2]
Anti-Coalition
Anti-Americanism
Anti-LGBT
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Sunnism[3]
StatusDissolved
Size60,000 (2008)[4]
Allies
OpponentsSalafi JihadistInsurgents
Islamic State of Iraq
Iraq(Pro-Coalition Forces,2003–2008)
Multi-National Force(2003–2008)
Islamic Army in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq[7]
Mujahideen Shura Council[8]
Battles and warsIraq War

The Mahdi Army rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004, when it spearheaded thefirst major armed confrontationagainst theUS forces in Iraqfrom the Shia community. This concerned an uprising that followed the ban of al-Sadr's newspaper and his subsequent attempted arrest, lasting until a truce on June 6. The truce was followed by moves to disband the group and transform al-Sadr's movement into a political party to take part in the 2005 elections; Muqtada al-Sadr ordered fighters of the Mahdi army to cease fire unless attacked first. The truce broke down in August 2004 after provocative actions by the Mahdi Army, with new hostilities erupting.[citation needed]The group was disbanded in 2008, following a crackdown by Iraqi security forces.

At its height, the Mahdi Army's popularity was strong enough to influence local government, the police, and cooperation with Sunni Iraqis and their supporters. The group was popular among Iraqi police forces. TheNational Independent Cadres and Elitesparty that ran in the2005 Iraqi electionwas closely linked with the army. The Mahdi Army was accused of operatingdeath squads.[10][11]

The group was armed with variouslight weapons,includingimprovised explosive devices(IEDs). Many of the IEDs used during attacks on Iraqi security forces andCoalitionforces used infrared sensors as triggers, a technique that was used widely by theIRAinNorthern Irelandin the early-to-mid-1990s.[12]

The group was semi-revived in 2014 asSaraya al-Salamin order to fight against theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levantand was still active as of 2016. It participated in the recapture ofJurf Al Nasrand theSecond Battle of Tikrit.

Nomenclature

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In theTwelverschool ofShia Islam,the Mahdī is believed to have been a historical figure identified with theTwelfth Imam,Hujjat Allah al-Mahdi,and is therefore calledal-Imām al-Mahdī.It is believed that he is still present on earthin occultation,and will emerge again in the end times. Those Shias of this school believe that Imam Mahdi is the rightful ruler of the Islamic community (Ummah) at any given time, and he is therefore also calledImām al-Zamān,meaning "Imam of the Era".

History

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Early history

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Created byMuqtada al-Sadrand a small fraction of Shias, the Mahdi Army began as a group of roughly 500seminarystudents connected with Muqtada al-Sadr in theSadr Citydistrict ofBaghdad,formerly known as Saddam City. The group moved in to fill the security vacuum in Sadr City and in a string of southern Iraqi cities following thefall of Baghdadto U.S-led coalition forces on April 9, 2003. The group was involved in dispensing aid to Iraqis and provided security in the Shi'iteslumsfrom looters.

Gradually, the militia grew and al-Sadr formalized it in June 2003.[13]The Mahdi Army grew into a sizable force of up to 10,000 who even operated what amounted to a shadow government in some areas. Al-Sadr's preaching is critical of theAmerican occupation,but he did not initially join theSunniIslamist and Ba'athistguerrillasin their attacks on coalition forces. IranianQuds ForcecommanderQasem Soleimaniplayed a significant role in the establishment of Mahdi Army as soon as the Iraq War broke out in 2003.[14]

2004 Shia Uprising

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Main article:Iraq spring fighting of 2004

Uprising begins

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Sadr's position changed dramatically, however, by the beginning of April 2004. Following the closure of the Sadr-owned newspaperal-Hawzaand the arrest of one of his senior aides, Sadr gave an unusually heated sermon to his followers on April 2. The next day, violent protests occurred throughout the Shi'ite south that soon spilt over into a violent uprising by Mahdi Army militiamen, fully underway by April 4.

April hostilities

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The Mahdi Army forces began an offensive inNajaf,Kufa,Kut,and Sadr City, seizing control of public buildings and police stations while clashing with coalition forces. The militants gained partial control ofKarbalaafter fighting there. Other coalition forces came under attack inNasiriyah,AmarahandBasra.Najaf and Kufa were quickly seized after a few firefights with Spanish troops, and Kut has seized after clashes with Ukrainian troops soon afterwards.

After sporadic clashes, coalition forces temporarily suppressed most militia activity in Nasiriyah, Amarah, and Basra. Mahdi rebels expelled Iraqi police from three police stations and ambushed U.S. forces in Sadr City, killing seven U.S. troops and wounding several more. U.S. forces subsequently regained control of the police stations after running firefights with the fighters, killing dozens of Mahdi militiamen. However, Mahdi Army members still maintained some influence over many of the slum areas of Sadr City.

On April 16, Kut was retaken by US forces, and several dozen Mahdi Army members were killed in the battle. However, the area around Najaf and Kufa along with Karbala remained under the control of Sadr's forces. Sadr himself was believed to be in Najaf. Coalition troops cordoned off Najaf with 2,500 troops but reduced the number of forces to pursue negotiations with the Mahdi Army. At the beginning of May, coalition forces estimated that there were 200–500 militants still present in Karbala, 300–400 inDiwaniyah,an unknown number still left in Amarah and Basra, and 1,000–2,000 still in the Najaf-Kufa region.

On May 4, coalition forces began a counter-offensive to eliminate the Mahdi Army in southern Iraq following a breakdown in negotiations. The first wave began with simultaneous raids in Karbala and Diwaniyah on militia forces, followed by a second wave on May 5 in Karbala and more attacks that seized the governor's office in Najaf on May 6. 86 militiamen were estimated killed in the fighting along with 4 U.S. soldiers. Several high-ranking militia commanders were also killed in a separate raid by USSpecial Operationsunits. On May 8, U.S. forces launched a follow-up offensive into Karbala, launching a two-pronged attack into the city. U.S. tanks also launched an incursion into Sadr City. At the same time, perhaps as a diversionary tactic, hundreds of Mahdi Army members swept through Basra, firing on British patrols and seizing parts of the city. Two militants were killed and several British troops were wounded.

On May 24, after suffering heavy losses in weeks of fighting, Mahdi Army forces withdrew from the city of Karbala. This left the only area still under their firm control being the Najaf-Kufa region, also under sustained American assault. Several hundred Mahdi Army militia in total were killed. Unfazed by the fighting, Muqtada al-Sadr regularly gave Friday sermons in Kufa throughout the uprising.

June truce

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On June 6, 2004, Muqtada al-Sadr issued an announcement directing the Mahdi Army to cease operations in Najaf and Kufa. Remnants of the militia soon ceased bearing arms and halted the attacks on U.S. forces. Gradually, militiamen left the area or went back to their homes. On the same day,Brigadier GeneralMark Hertling,a top UScommanderin charge ofNajaf,Iraq,stated "The Muqtada militia is militarily defeated. We have killed scores of them over the last few weeks, and that is in Najaf alone. [...] The militia have been defeated, or have left."[15]June 6 effectively marked the end of Shi'ite uprising. The total number of Mahdi Army militiamen killed in the fighting across Iraq is estimated at between 1,500 and 2,000.[citation needed]

The return of Najaf to Iraqi security forces following the cease-fire left Sadr City as the last bastion of Mahdi Army guerrillas still pursuing violent resistance. Clashes continued periodically in the district following the end of the Najaf-Kufa battles. On June 24, Mahdi Army declared an end to operations in Sadr City as well, effectively ending militia activity, at least for the time being.

After the June 4 truce with the occupation forces, al-Sadr took steps to disband the Mahdi Army. In a statement, he called on militia members from outside Najaf to "do their duty" and go home. US forces in Najaf were then replaced by Iraqi police. Al-Sadr told supporters not to attack Iraqi security forces and announced his intention to form a party and enter the 2005 elections. He said the interim government was an opportunity to build a unified Iraq. Interim PresidentGhazi Yawergave assurances that al-Sadr could join the political process provided he abandoned his militia. Iraqi officials also assured al-Sadr that he was not to face arrest.[16]

August hostilities

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Main article:Battle of Najaf (2004)

After Sadr's militia besieged a police station in Najaf and the local governor called for assistance, the US military intervened again. US troops arrested Sadr's representative in Karbala, Sheikh Mithal al Hasnawi on July 31[17]and surrounded al-Sadr's home on August 3.[18][19][20][21]British troops inBasraalso moved against al-Sadr followers, arresting four on August 3. After the expiration of a noon deadline to release them on August 5, the Basra militiamen declaredholy waron British forces.[22]

On August 5, via his spokesman Ahmed al-Shaibany, al-Sadr re-affirmed his commitment to the truce and called on US forces to honour the truce. He announced that if the restoration of the cease-fire failed "then the firing and igniting of the revolution will continue".[23]The offer was rejected by the governor of Najaf,Adnan al-Zurufi( "There is no compromise or room for another truce" ) and US officials ( "This is one battle we really do feel we can win" ).[24]

In the days that followed fighting continued around the old city of Najaf, in particular at theImam Ali shrineand the cemetery. The Mahdi Army, estimated at 2,000 in Najaf, was outnumbered by some 2,000 US troops and 1,800 Iraqi security forces, and at a disadvantage due to the vastly superior American tactics, training, firepower and airpower, such as helicopters andAC-130 gunships.On August 13, the militia was trapped in a cordon around the Imam Ali shrine. While negotiations continued between the interim government and the Mahdi Army, news came that al-Sadr had been wounded.[25]

On August 12, British journalistJames Brandon,a reporter for theSunday Telegraphwas kidnapped in Basra by unidentified militants. A videotape was released, featuring Brandon and a hooded militant, threatening to kill the British hostage unless US forces withdrew from Najaf within 24 hours. In a feature, Brandon describes being beaten, pistol-whipped, and forced to participate in mock executions. He said he escaped after holding a woman at knife-point, to a government building where guards found him, but they phoned his kidnappers, who arrived to collect him. Despite telling them repeatedly that he was a journalist, they assumed he was a spy or agent for theoccupationuntil they saw a report about the kidnap onal-Arabiyatelevision. Afterwards, Brandon's treatment improved markedly and he was released after less than a day, following intervention by al-Sadr. At a press conference, Brandon commented on his treatment and thanked his kidnappers: "Initially I was treated roughly, but once they knew I was a journalist I was treated very well and I want to say thank you to the people who kidnapped me." A spokesman for al-Sadr said: "We apologise for what happened to you. This is not our tradition, not our rules. It is not the tradition of Islam."[26][27]Brandon was delivered to the British military police who gave him medical treatment and escorted him toKuwaitthe following day. Brandon planned to see his family and go on holiday but said he wanted to return to Iraq: "Only next time, I just want to do the reporting. I have no desire to be the story again."[28]

The fact that American troops surrounded the Shrine led to an impasse as the Mahdi army could not leave the shrine and US troops did not want to offend Islam by setting foot inside the shrine. The standoff did not end for three weeks untilSistaniemerged from convalescence in London and brokered an agreement between the two forces.[29]

Iraqi reactions

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The uprising seemed to draw an ambivalent reaction from the Iraqi population, which for the most part neither joined nor resisted the rebels. Many Iraqi security forces melted away, wishing to avoid confrontation. In a sign of Mahdi Army's unpopularity in Najaf, however, which follows more traditionalist clerics, a small covert movement sprung up to launch attacks on the militants. The uprising did receive a good deal of support from Shiite radicals in Baghdad, however, who were galvanized by the simultaneous siege of the city ofFallujah.

2005

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Loyalists to al-Sadr ran under theNational Independent Cadres and Elitesbanner in the2005 Iraqi election.Though a number of the movement's supporters felt that the election was invalid. The party finished sixth overall in the election and was represented in the transitional legislature. Another twenty or so candidates aligned with al-Sadr ran for theUnited Iraqi Alliance.

The movement is believed to have infiltrated the Iraqi police forces, and to have been involved in theSeptember 2005 arrestof two British soldiers by Iraqi police.[30]

On December 4, 2005, former Prime MinisterIyad Allawiwas assaulted by a mob in Najaf, where the Mahdi Army is influential.[31]

October 2006 battle

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Main article:Battle of Amarah

In mid-October, a roadside bomb killed Qassim al-Tamimi, the chief of investigations for the provincial police force and a member of the rivalBadr Organization.Badr fighters blamed the Mahdi Army for the killing and in response to this, the police captured a brother of the suspected bomber, who was a member of the Mahdi Army. Fighting began on October 17, when 800 masked members of the Mahdi army stormed three police stations inAmarah.Several firefights occurred between the militia and police over the course of the next four days.

By the morning of October 20, 2006, local leaders and residents said that victorious Mahdi fighters were patrolling the city on foot and in commandeered police vehicles and were setting up roadblocks. Sheik al-Muhamadawi stated early October 20 that "there is no state in the city. Policemen do not have enough weapons and ammunition compared with the militia, which has all kinds of weapons."[32]At least 27 people were killed and 118 wounded in the clashes.

The Mahdi Army eventually withdrew from their positions in Amarah following negotiations between local tribal and political leaders and representatives from theBaghdadoffices of Prime MinisterNuri Kamal al-Maliki.A battalion from theIraqi Armysent fromBasrathen took control of the city.

The stunning and defiant display of militia strength underscored the weaknesses of the Iraqi security forces and the potency of the Mahdi Army, which had been able to operate virtually unchecked inIraq.This caused many to accuse the Mahdi Army of starting theCivil War in Iraq.

August 2007 – March 2008 ceasefire

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In August 2007, duringfightingbetween the Mahdi Army and Iraqi police in Karbala,Muqtada al-Sadrcalled for a ceasefire and urged Mahdi Army members to stop fighting. The cease-fire has been credited with helping to reduce violence inIraqbetween the Mahdi Army and Iraqi Army since August 2007.[33]Amid fears of the ending of the ceasefire in February 2008,[34]it was extended for a further six months by al-Sadr on February 22, 2008.[35]

March 2008 Iraqi security forces crackdown

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Main articles:Battle of Basra (2008)andSiege of Sadr City

On March 25, 2008, thousands of Iraqi troops carried out a military strike against the Mahdi Army in their stronghold of Basra. This operation, code-named Operation Charge of the Knights, was the first of its kind since British troops withdrew from the city centre.

Clashes took place between security forces and the militants loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr after a dawn military offensive in the southern city.[36]In Al-Sadr's headquarters of Najaf, the cleric ordered the field commanders of his Mahdi Army militia to go to 'maximum alert' and prepare "to strike the occupiers".[37]Gunmen also reportedly clashed with Iraqi police in the southern city ofKut.[38]

The Mahdi Army launched a nationwide civil disobedience campaign acrossIraqto protest raids and detentions against the Mahdi Army. The discord threatened to unravel al-Sadr's ceasefire, spark renewed sectarian violence, and prompt theUnited Statesto delay troop withdrawals. Violent rivalries among Shiites had been predicted by many observers ahead of the2008 Iraqi governorate elections,which were to be held by October 1, 2008.[39]

Concurrently, on April 6, Iraqi and U.S. forces moved into the southern third of Sadr City to prevent rocket and mortar fire from the area against theGreen Zone.U.S. engineers began construction of a concrete barrier along al-Quds Street to seal the southern third of the city off and allow reconstruction to take place. Over the next month, the Mahdi Army launched a number of attacks on the troops building the barrier but sustained heavy losses. On May 11, al-Sadr concluded a cease-fire agreement with Iraqi security forces, ending the battle. Mahdi Army losses were estimated at between 700 and 1,000 casualties.[40]

Disbandment and resurgence in 2014

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On August 28, 2008, al-Sadr ordered the Mahdi Army to suspend military activity indefinitely.[41]Later, however, al-Sadr created either two or three new organizations to take the place of the Mahdi Army: thePromised Day Brigades,established in November 2008 as a militia,[42]and the Muhamidoon, which focuses on social work and religious education.[43]A 2010 Associated Press report also mentioned a third wing, the Monaseroun, responsible for "the mobilization of supporters".[44]

Since 2008, rumors of a Mahdi Army resurgence have cropped up periodically. In April 2010, after winning 40 of 325 seats in the2010 parliamentary elections,Sadr called for its reestablishment.[45]

In 2014 al-Sadr announced the formation of the "Peace Companies",[46]to protect Shia shrines from theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[47]

Iran's influence

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Although Muqtada Al-Sadr has historically had close ties to Iran, he has generally opposed Iranian clerical and political influence in Iraq. Unlike the Al-Hakim family, of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council and many leaders of the Dawa party who fled to Iran[48]following thePersian Gulf Warand remained there in exile until theAmerican invasion in 2003,Muqtada al-Sadr and his family remained in Iraq throughout Saddam's rule. The refusal to leave Iraq garnered the Sadr family much support during and after the collapse of Saddam's regime. Early 2006, al-Sadr pledged military support to Iran and other neighboring Islamic countries if they were to be attacked by a foreign nation.[49]Since then, however, Al-Sadr has opposed theDawa Party,and in 2006 Prime MinisterNouri al-Malikiordered a major offensive targeting the Mahdi Army in Basra.[50]

In late 2007 or 2008, Muqtada al-Sadr moved to Iran and spent several years studying Shia jurisprudence inQombefore returning toNajafin 2011.[45][51]

Activities

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As of August 2006, the Mahdi Army rarely challenged coalition troops on a wide scale. Neither the coalition nor the Iraqi government made any move to arrest al-Sadr. The Mahdi Army participated in battles against Sunni insurgents and operated its own justice system in the areas it controlled.[52][53]The Mahdi army operated death squads that frequently killed Sunni civilians particularly during thecivil warphase of the Iraq war.[54]

Structure

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When reporting on an early October 2006 clash between the Mahdi Army and Coalition troops inDiwaniyah,BBC news suggested that at the time, the Mahdi Army was not a homogeneous force, with local groups apparently acting on own initiative.[55]

In September 2006, a senior coalition intelligence official had remarked to reporters how there were political fractures within Al-Sadr's organization in protest of his relatively moderate political course of action,[56]with one coalition intelligence official claiming that at least six major leaders no longer answer to al-Sadr and as many as a third of the army was now out of his direct control.[57]

See also

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References and notes

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  1. ^"Mapping Militants: Mahdi Army".cisac.fsi.stanford.edu.Stanford University. May 2019.Retrieved5 November2019.
  2. ^"Mapping Militants: Mahdi Army".cisac.fsi.stanford.edu.Stanford University. May 2019.Retrieved5 November2019.
  3. ^Steele, Jonathan."40 die in Baghdad massacre as Shia militia go on rampage".The Guardian.Retrieved9 July2006.
  4. ^Dralonge, Richard (2008).Economics and Geopolitics of the Middle East.Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. p. 61.ISBN9781604560763.
  5. ^"Mapping Militant Organisations, Mahdi Army".Stanford University.
  6. ^"اسرار من معركة الفلوجة عام 2004 كيف تعاون مقتدى الصدر مع البعثيين والتكفيريين وقاتل الى جانبهم".23 May 2008.
  7. ^"Mahdi Army | Mapping Militant Organizations".
  8. ^"Mahdi Army | Mapping Militant Organizations".
  9. ^"The immutable Muqtada al-Sadr loses a battle against Iran".atlanticcouncil.org.22 June 2022.Retrieved8 January2023.
  10. ^"Iraq's death squads: On the brink of civil war".The Independent.Archived fromthe originalon 30 April 2008.Retrieved10 April2015.
  11. ^"Al-Sadr's Weakening Grip on the Mahdi Army".Terrorism Monitor.The Jamestown Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon 16 October 2006.Retrieved10 April2015.
  12. ^Harkin, Greg; Elliott, Francis; Whitaker, Raymond (16 October 2005)."Revealed: IRA bombs killed eight British soldiers in Iraq".The Independent.London. Archived fromthe originalon 9 July 2008.Retrieved12 May2010.
  13. ^Howard, Michael (15 February 2007)."Mahdi army commanders withdraw to Iran to lie low during security crackdown".The Guardian.London.Retrieved12 May2010.
  14. ^Brodsky, Jason M. (15 December 2023)."Soleimani birthed Iran's Axis of Resistance, Ghaani coordinated it".Middle East Institute.
  15. ^"Stars and Stripes: Hertling named 1st AD commander".10 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 10 April 2008.
  16. ^"Sadr orders militia to quit Najaf".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  17. ^"Back issues for 2004".Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2004.Retrieved21 January2015.
  18. ^"Fighting flares around Sadr home".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  19. ^"Iraqi bid to arrest al-Sadr fails".Retrieved21 January2015.
  20. ^"Headlines for August 03, 2004".Democracy Now!.Archived fromthe originalon 5 August 2004.Retrieved21 January2015.
  21. ^Michael Howard (6 August 2004)."US troops kill 300 in Najaf raid".The Guardian.Retrieved21 January2015.
  22. ^"News".Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 17 August 2004.Retrieved21 January2015.
  23. ^"Clashes in the holy city as truce plea ignored".The Scotsman.6 August 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 30 August 2004.Retrieved2 February2013.
  24. ^"News".Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2004.Retrieved21 January2015.
  25. ^"Radical cleric 'wounded' in Najaf".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  26. ^"UK journalist kidnapped in Basra".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  27. ^"Kidnapped UK journalist released".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  28. ^"UK | 'Mock executions' for UK hostage".BBC News. 15 August 2004.Retrieved13 May2012.
  29. ^"Al-Sadr爉ilitia swaps prisoners with Iraq".CNN. 28 August 2004.Retrieved21 January2015.
  30. ^"Sadr militia's new muscle in south".The Christian Science Monitor.21 September 2005.Retrieved21 January2015.
  31. ^"CNN - Ex-Iraqi leader claims assassination attempt - Dec 4, 2005".CNN.14 January 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 14 January 2006.
  32. ^Semple, Kirk (20 October 2006)."Attack on Iraqi City Shows Militia's Power".New York Times.Retrieved20 October2006.
  33. ^"Al-Sadr calls for calm after Shiite militias clash in Karbala, Baghdad".CNN. 28 August 2007.Retrieved21 January2015.
  34. ^"Iraqi militia to hear Saturday whether to resume fighting".20 February 2008.Retrieved21 January2015.
  35. ^"Al-Sadr extends Mehdi Army cease-fire".CNN.Retrieved21 January2015.
  36. ^Matthew Weaver (25 March 2008)."Sadr urges 'civil revolt' as battles erupt in Basra".The Guardian.Retrieved21 January2015.
  37. ^"Militiamen holding out in Basra fighting".USA Today.Retrieved21 January2015.
  38. ^Thomson Reuters Foundation."Iraqi forces battle gunmen in oil city".alertnet.org.Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2009.{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help)
  39. ^"Peaceful Iraq protests spark clashes; 50 reported dead".CNN.Retrieved21 January2015.
  40. ^Spencer Tucker (2010).The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars.ABC-CLIO. p. 1060.ISBN9781851099481.
  41. ^Anthony Cordesman; Adam Mausner (2009).Withdrawal from Iraq: Assessing the Readiness of Iraqi Security Forces.Center for Strategic and International Studies. p. 45.ISBN9780892065530.
  42. ^"Mapping Militant Organizations: Promised Day Brigades".Stanford University. 27 August 2012.Retrieved19 October2013.
  43. ^Tim Arango (21 September 2011)."Sadr's Path Could Determine How Iraq Turns".New York Times.Retrieved19 October2013.
  44. ^"Feared Shiite Mahdi Army militia led by hardline cleric reviving in post-election Iraq".Fox News. 4 May 2010.Retrieved19 October2013.
  45. ^abBabak Rahimi (3 June 2010)."The Return of Moqtada al-Sadr and the Revival of the Mahdi Army".Combating Terrorism Center. Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2013.Retrieved19 October2013.
  46. ^Daniel Cassman."Mahdi Army".Retrieved10 April2015.
  47. ^Cassandra Vinograd (23 June 2014)."Anti-U.S. Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Retakes Stage Amid Iraq Turmoil".NBC News.Retrieved1 August2015.
  48. ^IANS (14 January 2021)."Russia denies Mike Pompeo's allegation of links between Iran, al-Qaeda".Business Standard India.Retrieved6 April2021.
  49. ^Cleric says militia would defend Iran if attacked |Jerusalem Post[permanent dead link‍]
  50. ^Radical Militia and Iraqi Army in Fierce Battle,New York Times,29 August 2006
  51. ^Al-Sadr calls on Iraqis 'to resist'.Al Jazeera (2011-01-08). Retrieved on 2012-06-04.
  52. ^Ridolfo, Kathleen (2 February 2012)."Iraq: Al-Sadr Militia Taking Law Into Own Hands".Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.Retrieved21 January2015.
  53. ^The Economistmagazine. May 29th, 2010 edition. "A well-locked closet". p. 62.
  54. ^"The Mahdi Army: Turbans, Kalashnikovs and plans to ′slaughter′".Deutsche Welle.22 June 2014.Retrieved10 April2015.
  55. ^"Battle rages in Shia Iraqi town".BBC News.Retrieved21 January2015.
  56. ^Peter Beaumont (29 September 2006)."US: Iraq failing to tackle death squads".The Guardian.Retrieved21 January2015.
  57. ^Tavernise, Sabrina (28 September 2006)."Cleric Said to Lose Reins of Parts of Iraqi Militia".The New York Times.

Further reading

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