Muqtada al-Sadr Says Freeze on Al-Mahdi Army's Military Action Still in Effect
The USG Open Source Center summarizes and translates a recent statement of Shiite clerical leader Muqtada al-Sadr, issued two weeks ago, insisting that the suspension of military operations by his Mahdi Army is still in effect.
'Muqtada al-Sadr Says Freeze on Al-Mahdi Army's Military Action Still in Effect
Iraq -- OSC Summary
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Mujahidin Al-Amarah News Network (formerly visible at (http:// al3marh. net/ news/%20 but now gone blank). . . -- which reports on Al-Sadr trend's activities and statements and other events in Iraq, was observed to post the following statement on 23 October:
The following is the full text of the report:
Office of the Martyr Al-Sadr (May God sanctify his secret)
Your Eminence Hojjat ol-Islam val Muslimin Al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr (may you live in glory), can you please answer our questions and queries. May God reward you.
1. Is the decision to freeze the Army of Imam al-Mahdi (may God speed up his return) still in effect because some parties are circulating news that the freeze stopped after Id al-Fitr?
In the name of God Almighty: Yes, it is still in effect and it can be extended if we deem this to serve an interest. It is absolutely not true that it has been lifted. In fact, some hostile parties are spreading this news to tarnish the reputation of this heroic ideological army, which proved its obedience to its leaders by implementing the freeze in the best manner possible except by some of those who took it upon themselves to obey the enemies and who ignored the freeze order by their hawzah (religious seminary). We appeal to all to implement this decision on all levels. Otherwise, a disobedient person would be dismissed from this heroic ideological army. The army has no place in it for disobedient persons. Our lord and master, Imam Al-Mahdi (may God speed up his return) wants obedience and faith, and not disobedience and rebellion.
2. If the freeze did not stop, we would like to inquire about some actions, which some units of the Army of Imam Al-Mahdi have continued to carry on, including some financial, tribal, and social affairs and others.
In the name of God Almighty. This question can be answered on two levels:
First, this freeze includes the "military" aspect in particular and some aspects, which I will mention implicitly, God willing. It does not include the ideological and cultural aspects. As we know, jihad is two parts: cultural and military. We are facing a (Jewish-American) attack on our beloved Islam. Therefore, dear brothers, you should make yourselves immune to these attacks so as to make Islam immune as well. This cannot be done by attack, disunity, disintegration, disobedience, rebellion, unilateral action, differences, and other similar negative phenomena that have spread among you. It is done by piety, rectitude, purity, ethics, faith, modesty, fraternity, and worship, and not by seeking mundane pleasures, polytheism, and parties.
Second, concerning what was mentioned in the question about the financial, tribal, and social aspects, if any individual wants to intervene in these things, he cannot do that by using his affiliation to the Army of Imam Al-Mahdi. Otherwise, he will be disobeying higher orders.
3. In the current period, in which the Army of Imam Al-Mahdi has been frozen, what are the responsibilities that they can carry out?
In the name of God Almighty. The dear brothers in the Army of Imam Al-Mahdi have the full powers to go about their social affairs, such as making visits, forming friendships, helping the needy, and attending to the needs of the believers in a manner that does not conflict with the tolerant Islamic shari'ah and that does not break the freeze. They may also seek to educate themselves religiously, ideologically, scientifically, and ethically by conducting lessons, lectures, seminars, and examinations under the supervision of the cultural commission that is affiliated with the Office of the Martyr. They may also carry out any peaceful action that reflects their love of their religion and homeland and their endeavor to achieve its unity, land and people.
I also advise you to refrain from any action that could hurt the reputation of this beloved army. Its reputation is a trust that you bear. Do not fear the blame of anyone while implementing the above. God is able to grant you victory. Be like a solid structure, while each one of you offers advice to the other and loves the other so that the enemy will not be able to infiltrate you. Beware of those who stir up sedition and the infiltrators among your ranks. I advise you and myself to fear God in secret and in public and to carry out religious duties and abandon what is forbidden and to conduct religious rituals, such as congregational prayer, the husayniyah sessions, and many others.
Holy Al-Najaf
Muqtada al-Sadr
5 Shawwal 1428 (corresponding to 16 October 2007)
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 10/28/2007 07:24:00 PM
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Re' JAM confirms stand-down'
Monday's WaPo online is featuring a report that eleven Diyala tribal sheiks (mixed Sunni and Shia) have been kidnapped coming back from a Baghdad meeting. The third sentence carries the allegations
"Hadi al-Anbaki, a spokesman for the mostly Shiite council, said the attack was carried out by the Mahdi Army, a militia controlled by the anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "This was an ambush,"
Anbaki said.'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/28/AR2007102801067.html
Perhaps someone has some perspective on the allegation.
For those in the field of international relations who are unhappy with the course the US has charted in Iraq so far, there is some good news.
Famously, on 13 September, the President announced that he was tweaking his Iraq strategy. To the uninitiated, the “Return on Success” sounded like a continuation of “stay-the-course.” The President has already said he will not pull out of Iraq during his term, regardless of circumstances on the ground.
But a thoughtful examination of this new strategy reveals that it is actually an open door, and allows for a complete change in course. If the President is forced by whatever reason to withdraw all but a fraction of the troops that are there now, this new strategy is flexible enough to let him claim that he is still following his overarching plan, and is simply taking advantage of improved security to claim success. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/.
On 22 October, the Washington Post ran an article that said the US Commander in Iraq, working with the Ambassador there, had significantly downscoped the goals in their new classified campaign strategy approved in secret on 17 October. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101577.html
On 11 October, the US State Department announced that they were looking for a contractor to “perform strategic planning services to support the Office of Joint Strategic Planning and Assessment (JSPA) of the US Embassy, Baghdad.”
See http://www.fbo.gov/spg/State/A-LM-AQM/A-LM-AQM/S%2DAQMMA%2D07%2DR%2DXXXX/SynopsisP.html
In the vernacular, this means that the Ambassador cannot even define his new objectives (in response to the new strategy) without outside expert help. Generally, Strategic Planning is the art of linking an organization’s mission, vision and values with the objectives, goals and tasks to be performed by folks at the lowest levels. Here, it means that the State Department does not know how to realign and redirect the activities of the Iraq Mission, USAID-Iraq, and the Provincial Reconstruction Teams to support the “Return on Success” strategy.
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As a long-time fan of this site, I know that many participants here could make important contributions to the JSPA in their hour of need.
I intend to submit a bid to do this work, if I can collect CV’s from a dozen or so experts willing to devote at least a month or two to this effort. If this interests you, please email your CV to me at Stabilize_Iraq, which is at yahoo dotcom.
I was the plaintiff in the unsuccessful federal case to force the Army to obey the Anti-Pinkerton Act and stop using Mercenaries. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/01/AR2007060102261.html. This failure helped the Administration reinterpret the law so as to have no meaning at all.
I was the author of the 2004 “Model Communities” approach to stabilizing discrete Iraqi communities, which I believe was borrowed and became the intellectual foundation of the “Anbar Awakening” experiment. However, when General Casey apparently plagiarized my work, he left out the part about local leaders exercising local control.
I worked with Dr. Sadoun Hummadi (Saadoun Hammadi) in August 2002 to attempt to broker an amnesty deal for Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti, where he would go into exile in exchange for stepping down and avoiding a costly war. My Congressman, Joel Hefley, however, thought a war would be a real tonic for the nation.
So I have a track record of consistent failure when it comes to getting the US to improve strategy or tactics. But I have at least disrupted their bubble of complacency. In December 2003, Colonel Ian Tunnicliffe of the British Army, who worked in the CPA Policy shop, emailed to apologize to me for disregarding my offers to serve as liaison to the Sayyid al-Sadr, and to build an Internet forum for cross-factional dialogue. At that early date, he recognized the failure of neocon faith over reality.
So I’m asking the experts who participate here to risk besmirching their professional reputations by associating with me. I intend to propose that the team I assemble:
establish an office in the greater DC area,
meet intensively for a couple months,
place a couple analysts at Embassy Baghdad for a year,
come together quarterly for the duration, and
be available for telephonic consultations throughout.
We are seeing the first tacit acknowledgment that the Administration is in over their heads. Please help me bail them out.
Respectfully,
Brian Scott, your Avid Student
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Professor Cole,
I'm curious about the symbolism surrounding the use of the Imam Al-Mahdi in the naming of the army and the requisite veneration that proceeds his name.
Is it accurate to say that Muqtada al-Sadr's has appropriated the Imam? How is this interpreted within the Shi'a faith?
And what does the average (Iraqi) Sunni read into this symbolism?
Intriguing idea from Avid Student. I fear that it suffers from the same American Disease: treating the Iraqis as recipients rather than in control of their country.
The USA will leave Iraq completely in spite of the wishes of the US Establishment. The price is too high and the returns are negative. They are now fighting the Iraqis, the American public, and lately the US military who want to copy the British generals' success in forcing their governments by the nearest thing to a revolt. The Awakening groups are being promised that the co-operation will lead to an American exit. If they renege, the whole thing will fall apart as they know themselves.
The CPA freaks had all sorts of mad-cap ideas and brainstorming. Trying to square a circle is futile. It is not about methods.
8:24 AM Anon is exactly right.
We cannot fix Iraq.
Only Iraqis can.
But if we can stop hindering them from fixing it themselves,
that could be extremely helpful.
The new "Return on Success" strategy is, behind the veils, about withdrawal,
but couching it as being done on our own terms,
denying that we're being forced to leave.
........................
The effort I propose above is not an effort to find a better way for the US to fix Iraq;
the point is to persuade the Petraeus brain trust to step back and let the Iraqis take charge.
Because of their emotional investment in "White Man's Burden" psychoses,
this will have to be finessed.
You'll admit that is a far more daunting challenge.
Avid Student
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apologies if this is a duplicate.
Avid Student agrees with 8:24 AM Anon.
The effort proposed would not try to find a better way for US to fix Iraq for he Iraqis.
The effort would focus on helping the Petraeus braintrust see their way clear to backing off and letting Iraqis run their own affairs.
This will be harder than just coming up with a fresh new approach to kinder, gentler military occupation.
Avid Student
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