Sadr Calls For Attacks On Americans

What does Sadr think this is going to accomplish? For the last few weeks, his Madhi Army has scurried and hidden like so many vermin. Now, however, Sadr thinks that attacking Americans will further his interests.

The renegade cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urged Iraqi forces to stop cooperating with the United States and told his guerrilla fighters to concentrate their attacks on American troops rather than Iraqis, according to a statement issued Sunday.

The statement, stamped with al-Sadr's official seal, was distributed in the Shiite holy city of Najaf on Sunday - a day before a large demonstration there, called for by al-Sadr, to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.

"You, the Iraqi army and police forces, don't walk alongside the occupiers, because they are your archenemy," the statement said. Its authenticity could not be verified.

In the statement, al-Sadr - who commands an enormous following among Iraq's majority Shiites and has close allies in the Shiite-dominated government - also encouraged his followers to attack only American forces, not fellow Iraqis.

Sadr has ties with Iran, so this could be part of Iran's grand strategy for the region.

The current US offensive has produced results in Baghdad, though the violence has spilled into neighboring regions. The Americans have also captured al Qaeda elements in the course of the operations, as well as arms caches. Success builds on success, so if the US manages to succeed in reducing the violence, Sadr could be out of business. It is no wonder that Sadr is trying to rally his thugs to resume blowing stuff up and killing the very troops that are working to bring stability to Iraq.