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Sadr, Allawi…An Exhausting Face-Off
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Allawi
and Sadr locked horns over their roles in An-Najaf
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BAGHDAD, August 12 (IslamOnline.net) – The one who will not pause to draw
breath will only have the upper hand in the grinding battles between
Mahdi Army of Shiite leader Moqtada Al-Sadr and US-backed interim Iraqi
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
But
still, the second Sadr's uprising, which has already entered its second
week, came as no surprise due to the provocations of the US troops, on
the one hand, and the Iraqi police, on the other, Al-Quds Press
reported Thursday, August 12.
"Backed
by its government, the US-trained Iraqi police have, in effect, made
matters worse and failed to deal properly with and contain the popular
army of Sadr, whose followers, on the contrary, have benefited greatly
from the first confrontation," the London-based news agency said.
An-Najaf
citizens gave their hands-on experience. They said Iraqi police, given
the go-ahead from An-Najaf Governor Adnan Al-Zofri, have unjustifiably
stepped up their attacks against Mahdi Army deployed along Shiite holy
shrines to protect them.
The
protection of the holy shrines in An-Najaf struck the discordant note.
The governor regarded as infringement on his authorities to give free
reign for Sadr’s army, ordering a heavy-handed approach against the
self-styled militia formed in the wake of the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
Sadr’s
sympathizers fired back, kidnapping 13 Iraqi policemen in An-Najaf. The
situation further slipped out of control when Iraqi police arrested the
director of Sadr office in neighboring
Karbala
, Mithal Al-Hasanawi.
Only
then, all hell broke loose. Baked by
US
enforcements urged by Zofri, Iraqi troops and National Guardsmen saw
nothing but to root out the Sadr current in An-Najaf, believing that it
will be a child’s play.
Thousands
of US forces stormed
An-Najaf early on Thursday in a full-scale assault against Al-Sadr,
whose followers have been battling occupation forces for eight
consecutive days.
Disproportionate
Force
Observers,
in effect, blame the interim Iraqi government for resorting to
disproportionate force and collective punishment in dealing with restive
cities and towns.
"Using
force against Sadr's supporters has been excessive in the broad sense of
the word," Sattar Jabbar, professor of political science, told
Al-Quds Press.
"Allawi
should have resorted to candid dialogue instead of taking up arms
against Sadr’s followers, given that Sadr was quite willing to sit on
the negotiating table."
Jabbar
said Sadr has frequently made it clear he was willing to play a key role
in
Iraq
’s political landscape and drop weapons, asserting that the young
leader, aged around 30, has never "crawled into his own
shell".
He
said that using excessive force has weakened Allawi's position as he
preferred military solution to dialogue.
"In
consequence, Allawi’s government lost once and for all the confidence
of several Iraqi political movements and the Iraqi citizens. Some deems
it an extension to the former regime."
Abu
Muntazer, a Mahdi Army leader, said the government thought that Mahdi
Army was an easy meat but days proved them wrong.
The
bloodbath in the holy city seemed to have pit Iraqi officials against
one another, who differed on how to end the crisis in An-Najaf.
On
Thursday, the deputy governor of An-Najaf resigned in protest at the “terrorist”
acts of the
US
occupation forces as deadly raids into the holy city has left hundreds
of Shiite fighters and civilians killed.
Miscalculations
Observers
said Allawi has badly miscalculated the mighty of Sadr Army as it left
no room to end the crisis peacefully.
More
and more, he never though that his approach would be counterproductive
as battles spilled over into many towns and cities in the south and even
the capital
Baghdad
.
Allawi
may lose control over the battle he sparked. Sadr and his supporters
could rely on prolonging the battle's life span, thinking it will
provide them with the spiritual momentum they are in dire need of.
Supporters
of Sadr still hope for another uprising in the western parts of
Iraq
like the one raging in An-Najaf. Though the chance is slim.
Fighters
in western
Iraq
rely in their fight on guerrilla operations to avoid an all-out war in
their cities, particularly after a harsh experience in Fallujah.
And
here goes the battle: Sadr attempts to impose himself on the Iraqi
political arena, while Allawi tries hard to entrench his iron-fisted
approach against the armed militias. And It remains to be seen.
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