Radical cleric warns of ending cease-fire
BAGHDAD - Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr threatened yesterday to formally end an already tattered cease-fire he had ordered his Mahdi Army militia to obey. The radical preacher also canceled plans for a massive protest march against the Iraqi government and its US allies for today, after complaining about harassment from the authorities.
The warning on the truce came on the day that US Army General David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress about the situation in Iraq and as US-led forces continued to battle militants in Baghdad.
"The Iraqi government should know that the Mahdi Army will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iraqi people to provide all they need from security, stability, and independence," Sadr said in a statement. "If this means that the 'freeze' shall be lifted in order to achieve our aims and religious beliefs, then we shall do so later in an announcement."
Sadr had called for 1 million followers to descend on the capital in protest today to mark the fifth anniversary of Baghdad's fall to American troops. But Sadr spokesman Salih Obeidi complained yesterday that the government had blocked the movement from bringing supporters to Baghdad from southern Iraq.
"The government made many obstacles against us, so we couldn't go on with it," Obeidi said of the march. He added that Sadr had made his decision to protect his followers from any provocations on the government's side.
There had been concerns that the march would aggravate tensions between Sadr and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and spur further violence. Despite Sadr's announcement, the government announced an expected ban on vehicle traffic in the capital for today, starting at 5 a.m.
The streets were near-empty yesterday afternoon at the roads into Sadr City, as a few people were seen walking with bags of groceries into the neighborhood. The mostly Shi'ite area, home to 2.5 million people, has been a battle zone since last month.
Residents reported gun battles in the neighborhood. Police in Sadr City reported 12 deaths in the latest violence, including a mortar attack and an air strike by US forces. Hospital officials reported that at least 47 wounded Iraqis were treated.
A US soldier was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb yesterday afternoon in Shi'ite northeastern Baghdad, the US military said. A bomb blast claimed the life of another US soldier in Baghdad on Monday night.
