Full Release - IRmep

....
t"
Document Results
search Within Results: c-
o HEREIN
ALL INFOR!lATION CONTAI~mD
IS U1iICLASS IFIED ~
DATE 07-29-2010 BY 60324 uc baW/~/1Sg
-- - _:: ] mmm·
Page 1of2
edit Search I New Search
- P!1nt I Download
~ew:
Ust I Full
Document 1 of 5 ~~ >
~ Tag tor Print a. Download
o
Copyright 2004 U.P.I.
United Press International
June 8, 2004 Tuesday
LENGTH: 908 words
HEADLINE: Analysis: Despite Iraqi gains, Sadr remains
BYLINE: By GAOl OECHTER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI)
BODY:
Despite a recent spate of positive political news Iraq-watchers of diverse stripes·agree that renegade
cleric Moqtada Sadr remains the critical thorn in the country's side, and not likely to be extirpated any
time soon.
Incoming Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawl formally outlawed on Monday the defiant Shiite cleric's Mahdi
Army, a private militia of 2,000..3,000 fighters that has repeatedly clashed with U.S. forces in recent
months, and barred Sadr and his lieutenants from holding public office for three years.
The order is an exception to a new Iraqi policy of Including private militias and their leaders in a postwar
political process In exchange for their disbanding and pledging to work with the new government, which
is scheduled to take over sovereignty from coalition forces on June 30. Nine other Iraqi political parties
and movements pledged on Monday to comply with the order.
Juan Cole, a University of Michigan history professor and frequent commentator on the Middle East said
that banning Sadr from mainstream Iraqi politics would only endanger the fragile truce between the
Mahdi Army and U.S. forces in the holy ShIIte cities of Najaf and Kufa, a cease-fire that has held since
Friday.
"I think there Is every prospect of drawing (Sadr) Into the political process," Cole told United Press
International Tuesday. "(Sadr's) forces can be potentially drawn off into the regular army and it Is better
to do that than confront him."
Among the obstacles to Sadr's Inclusion in mainstream Iraqi politics Is an outstanding warrant for his
arrest Issued In April by an Iraqi jUdge, on charges that Sadr allegedly murdered a rival cleric last year.
A State Department spokesman said Monday it believes Iraqi authorities should prosecute SadrI
"It Is our view that Moqtada Sadr Is a subject of Iraqi law and that law should be applied to him, as well
as to any other Iraqi citizen who has been accused of violating the law," Adam Erell told a briefing In
Washington.
But the Iraqi government could take advantage of the transitional nature of Iraqi politics to amend
Sadr's current fugitive status, said Cole.
"The charges ~galnst (Sadr) were arbitrary anyway, since no grand jury has met and had him charged.
They could be allowed to lapse or given over to the clerics to handle Internally," he said.
Turning the outlaw cleric into a legitimate political player would not necessarily neutralize him as a
security th~at,.and may In fact increase his power; according to Amatzia Baram, a senior fellow at the
https:llw3.lexis.comllawenfsolutions_secu~d/searc.hfonnsl4oBr~)\_lVse.~p?Sear~hInfoID=...11/16/2004