May 11, 2008
Dani Reshef

Double success for IRAN

After seven weeks of fierce fighting in Sadr City, in North-East Baghdad, with the Mahdi Army pro Iranian militia, with approximately 1,000 people killed, most of them innocent civilians, more than 2,500 others injured, and after Iraqi PM Nuri al Maliki vowed to uproot the Mahdi Army, a cease fire deal was agreed upon between the Iraqi government and the Shiite cleric Moqtada Sader, the Mahdi Army’s leader, on Saturday 05/10/2008.

In full coordination with the achievements of Hizbullah in Lebanon (See – LEBANON new crisis ) the Iraqi government basically agreed to return to square one. The Mahdi Army will lay down its weapons, including the almost daily bombardment of the Green Zone, and stop fighting, but will not dismantle and will, in fact, continue to control Sadr City as well as other Shiite populated regions in Iraq.  Mahdi Army will remain the most powerful militia in Iraq affiliated to Iran. (See - New-Stage )

Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesman, said that the "The agreement contains 14 points representing the government's vision to end public displays of arms, clean Sadr City of bombs, and enforce law in Sadr City".

The ceasefire deal was agreed in full timing with the withdrawal of the Lebanese government from its initial demands from Hizbullah to shut down Hezbollah's telecoms network, which links Hizbullah directly to Syria and Iran in secure lines, and the removal of the chief of security at Beirut airport, Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shqeir, a Hezbollah sympathizer, who helped smuggle weapons for Hizbullah, under the nose of the international supervision, through the Beirut International airport directly from Iran.(See - Open-War )

In fact the Lebanese Government waved a white flag when they found out that the Lebanese Army is refusing to face Hizbullah because of concern that such a confrontation can disintegrate the Army from within as was the case with the Iraqi army confronting the Mahdi Army. The support of the Sunnite Arab world or the Western Democracies turned out to be nothing but words.

The full implication of the Iranian double success is not yet fully understood but it is fair to say that the Middle East is a much more unstable place overshadowed more and more by Iran while values of democracy and the reference to USA as a super power and trusted ally is on the retreat.
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SOURCE: Global Jihad