The United States had the opportunity in 2004 to either capture or kill cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, but refrained from doing so because we feared turning him into a martyr. A few short months ago, his Mahdi Army held the Sadr City stronghold in Baghdad, and routinely fired rockets and mortars into the Green Zone.
Today he officially disbanded his army, from his exile in Iran, effectively ending his struggle for power in Iraq, according to a piece in Wednesday's Opinion Journal.
With the Mahdi Army disbanded, and al-Qaeda in Iraq routed, all major fighting in the country has now come to an end. While it is too early to claim complete victory -- it is still possible for a resurgency in violence -- al-Sadr had remained the last major stumbling block to unity within the country of Iraq. The defeat of al-Sadr is further evidence that the people of Iraq long for a return to peace and national unity.
In many respects, the story of the Mahdi Army's decline follows the same pattern as al Qaeda's: Not only was it routed militarily, it also made itself noxious to the very Shiite population it purported to represent and defend. It enforced its heavy-handed religious edicts, coupled with mob-like extortion tactics, wherever it assumed effective control. The overwhelming Shiite rejection of this brand of politics is another piece of good news from Iraq, as it means that Iraqis will not tolerate Iranian-style theocratic rule.
It is also an indication that Iraqi politics is developing in a healthy way. There was considerable anxiety that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as the leader of the Shiite-dominated Islamic Dawa Party, would practice a sectarian form of politics and toe a pro-Iranian line, particularly since it had long been headquartered in Tehran. Mr. Maliki's coalition initially included Mr. Sadr's loyalists, including several cabinet members.
I look forward to reading these headlines across the Mainstream Media.
What a military genius.
Wasn't it the meme among leftards not too long ago that Mookie and his ilk were the George Washington's of Iraq, or somesuch? Gee, I guess they'll be shoving crap like that down the memory hole fast as they can, eh?
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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.