Fred, that’s total crap. What we’re seeing here is something that had to happen eventually. Private militas patroling the streets who are above the law and who are loyal to individual clerics or political parties is fundamentally incompatable with a modern democracy. The Iraqis are taking the lead in this fight and aside from a couple of airstrikes (which were needed because the Iraqis, as yet, don’t have attack helicopters), the Americans appear to be staying out of it.
If the Iraqi Army can ultimately emerge victorious here, it will be a huge boost in prestige for both them and the central government. Sooner or later, they’re gonna have to be able to stand on their own two feet, so this is an important test. I only hope that Maliki doesn’t stop until the Mahdi Army has been thoroughly quashed and the IA is in total, unquestioned control of all the cities in the south.
