Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army Declares Truce

[studentx]

Sadr militia calls for truce to fight 'terrorists'

Radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army has declared a truce by loud speaker in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, saying it is ready to help protect important sites from terror attacks.

...The statement says the Mehdi Army is ready to protect "all those who might be targeted by terrorists notably in the coming two weeks," referring to the June 30 handover of power in Iraq.

Taken from http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1140004.htm

It seems the man finally realizes who his true enemies are. I wonder if they will protect americans too?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Certainly the Al Zarkawi/al_Quaida extravaganza yesterday must have showed him where his true dangers lie. While he was about faking out the Americans, they are perfectly willing to slaughter Shi'ites.

 

[Adam]

You mean he has full control of the site, and is now assuming some form of legitimacy, and is asking the foreign forces to recognise his authority in the area?

 

[Stanley_Smith]

"You mean he has full control of the site, and is now assuming some form of legitimacy, and is asking the foreign forces to recognise his authority in the area?"

I don't think he has full control of anywhere/any site, maybe to the US and the coalition forces, he has; but not to the insurgents that fought yesterday. Yesterday show that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror network is willing and capable of doing anything to cause embarassment to the US and the Iraqi interim government, including beheading anybody and bombing any site.
"In dawn-to-dusk fighting, more than 100 armed insurgents overran neighborhoods and occupied downtown buildings, using techniques that U.S. commanders said resembled those once employed by the Iraqi army. Well-equipped and highly coordinated, the insurgents demonstrated a new level of strength and tactical skill that alarmed the soldiers facing them" quoted from msnbc.com. Obviously, I don't think the al-Mahdi army can cause headade to the insurgents who fought yesterday or to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. His army is nothing but a group of civilian in AK-47 enjoying some popular support at a certain cities. But again, his army certainly can cause headache to the US and the coalition, just because they cannot deal with him directly and heavy-handed.
However,
"Al-Sadr's position was weakened, however, due to heavy casualties suffered by his fighters in Karbala and Najaf and to pressure from the mainstream Shiite hierarchy eager for an end to the armed standoff with the Americans", so it's wise for him to declare ceasefire though.