05/01/2008 (9:29 am)
Maliki Government Confronts Iran
Continuing to consolidate his coalition government, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent a delegation to Iran to confront them with evidence of Iran’s efforts to train and supply Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.
The current action follows Maliki’s successful campaign against the Jaysh al Mahdi (”JAM”), or Mahdi Army in Basrah and Nasiriyah in the south and in sections of Baghdad, which in turn prompted Sunni and Kurdish elements to rejoin Maliki’s government. He now appears to be aiming at separating the JAM from its suppliers, hoping eventually to remove the large, heavily armed militia as a factor in Iraqi politics.
Operations continue against the JAM in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, where the Mahdi Army has taken a pounding but continues to resist the government’s efforts to root them out of the city. Maliki continues to offer quarter and enfranchisement to whichever elements of the JAM or other armed groups wish to disarm and join the government. (Note: the comments at Long War Journal are full of detail and analysis not available through the mainstream press, as usual. I recommend investing the time to browse them.)
Maliki is showing himself an able and active leader in this difficult situation. He may succeed at producing a peaceful, pluralistic government, proving that despite some claims to the contrary, quasi-Jeffersonian democracy is possible among Middle Easterners.
Hat tip to Ed Morrissey, who continues to provide the best coverage of this progress in Iraq from his seat at Hot Air.
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