Mahdi-army - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community

Militants come up with deadly new weapon in Iraq

Balbhadra Rana — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:19:24 +0000

The Mahdi army in Iraq has added a new and simple yet lethal weapon to its armoury. It is the Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions, or IRAMs. The US army has termed it the ‘flying IEDs.’ It is a low-tech weapon that has a propane tank...

Al-Sadr calls for restraint from his militia

AP — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:05 +0000

Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called for restraint in an apparent bid to exert control over his Mahdi Army militia fighters.A statement read after Friday prayers in the holy city of Kufa says the Shiite militia will continue to resist...

In Iraq, U.S. walks tightrope with Sadr

Nick — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:18:32 +0000

The U.S. military has tied itself into a verbal knot as it tries to avoid further inflaming tensions with Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr while confronting members of his Mahdi Army militia. U.S. forces battle almost daily with Shiite militiamen in...

Al-Sadr and the Mahdi Army

AP — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:20:44 +0000

A look at Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia.___MUQTADA AL-SADR: He is the son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, a key cleric under Saddam Hussein who was killed in 1999. His followers blame Saddam for his...

Al-Sadr shift: away from politics and favoring fight

AP — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:19:52 +0000

Muqtada al-Sadr is considering setting aside his political ambitions and restarting a full-scale fight against U.S.-led forces _ a worrisome shift that may reflect Iranian influence on the young cleric and could open the way for a shadow state...

McCain, Iraq War and the Threat of ‘Al Qaeda’

Pooja — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:07:03 +0000

As he campaigns with the weight of a deeply unpopular war on his shoulders, Senator John McCain of Arizona frequently uses the shorthand “Al Qaeda” to describe the enemy in Iraq in pressing to stay the course in the war...

12 killed in Baghdad clashes, Iraqi officials say

AP — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:55:55 +0000

Twelve people died in overnight clashes in Baghdad’s Sadr City district, which has become a chief battleground between U.S. and Iraqi forces and the Mahdi Army of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, police and hospital officials said...

Iraqi Cleric Threatens to End Cease-Fire

AP — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:38:18 +0000

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened Tuesday to lift a seven-month freeze on his Mahdi Army militia if the Iraqi government does not halt attacks on his followers or set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.The cease-fire credited with helping...

Iraqi Army, Al-Sadr's Militiamen Clash

AP — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:56:11 +0000

Iraqi government forces and the Mahdi Army clashed anew Tuesday in Baghdad despite a government ultimatum to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to either disband his militia or give up politics.Hundreds of civilians have already fled Sadr City,...

Iraqi Army, Mahdi Militiamen Clash

AP — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:32:05 +0000

Iraqi police say government forces and Mahdi Army militiamen are clashing in Baghdad’s Sadr City district.A police officer said Tuesday the two sides are using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and light mortars. The officer spoke on...