Cease-Fire Reported In Sadr City
Shiite militants have agreed on a ceasefire in Baghdad's embattled neighborhood of Sadr City, said a high level cleric Saturday, holding out hope that weeks of clashes in the capital could be at an end.
In the northern city of Mosul, an Iraqi army commander announced the start of the long anticipated offensive against al Qaeda in Iraq's last urban stronghold.
Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, an aide to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the cease-fire will go into effect Sunday.
The cease-fire may not necessarily end the seven-week old clashes in Sadr City, the stronghold of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, however, as U.S. military has blamed clashes on breakaway groups.
It is not believed that the bulk of the 60,000-strong Mahdi Army has participated in the clashes. Instead it is just splinter groups that have refused to honor a general cease-fire ordered by al-Sadr last August. Al-Sadr has directed his supporters to only fight when attacked.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh in a statement on Saturday expressed the government's support for efforts "that aims at achieving order and security in Sadr City."
"The agreement represents the government's vision to end armed displays and purge al-Sadr City from roadside bombs and mines and impose the law in the city," al-Dabbagh said.
"Iraqi security forces are the only force to achieve this and the government has the right to raid and search any place suspected of possessing heavy or medium weapons," al-Dabbagh said. "The government is also committed to chase all wanted people under the supervision of the prime minister."
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military on the reported deal.
The newly announced cease-fire comes after government-backed Shiite envoys set strict demands for Shiite militias to end their battles against U.S.-led forces in a meeting with al-Sadr's supporters on Thursday.
Al-Obeidi said an agreement had been reached between parliament's coalition of Shiite parties and the Sadrists.
"A 10-point agreement has been reached between members from the United Iraqi Alliance and Sadrist movement in Baghdad and we are informed that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is committed to it," al-Obeidi said in the southern city of Najaf.
He added that "the agreement stipulates that Mahdi Army will stop fighting in Sadr City and will stop displaying arms in public. In return, the government will stop random raids against al-Sadr followers and open all closed roads that lead to Sadr City."
Al-Obeidi said a joint committee will observe the implementation of the agreement and any violations by either side.
"This document does not call for disbanding al-Mahdi Army or laying down their arms," al-Obeidi said, rejecting a previous call by al-Maliki.
The clashes in Sadr City began in late March after al-Maliki, himself a Shiite, launched a crackdown against the Shiite armed groups in the southern city of Basra. Aid groups say at least 6,000 people have fled the homes in Sadr City to escape the fighting and seek help as food and medical supplies dwindle.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, the commander of military operations in the northern city of Mosul, issued a statement on Saturday to announce that the operation "Lion's roar and righteousness battle," against al Qaeda in Iraq was under way.
Mosul was considered the last important urban staging ground for al Qaeda in Iraqi and allied groups after losing its strongholds in Baghdad and other areas during the U.S. troop "surge" last year.
Provincial forces are "undertaking a new phase of operations in Mosul to counter the terrorist threat there," said Maj. John C. Hall, a military spokesman in Baghdad. "These operations build on operations that have been under way for the past several weeks, targeting al Qaeda in Iraq cells."
He added that "this Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led series of operations continues to be closely supported by Coalition forces."
In January, Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki promised his military were preparing for a "decisive" showdown with insurgents in Mosul, about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. But no major offensives have been mounted even as al Qaeda in Iraq tried to exert its influence in Iraq's third-largest city through attacks and intimidation.
On Friday evening, Iraqi officials imposed an indefinite vehicle ban in the northern province of Nineveh, which includes Mosul. Brig. Gen. Khalid Abdul-Sattar, the provincial security spokesman, said Friday the ban was prompted by intelligence that Sunni insurgents might carry out car bombings.
The operation against al Qaeda comes after Iraqi authorities mistakenly announced Thursday that the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had been captured in Mosul. American officials said a man who was arrested had a name similar to al-Masri's.
There have been false alarms in the past about al-Masri. At least twice - in 2006 and last May - reports circulated that he was dead.
Blackwater Unlikely To Face Charges In Iraq Shooting
Sources say security contractor Blackwater Worldwide is not expected to face criminal charges in connection with the deaths of 17 civilians in Iraq.
Sources close to the investigation say instead the Justice Department is focused on as few as three or four Blackwater guards who could be indicted in the shootings.
Sparing Blackwater itself would all but ensure that it will get to keep its multimillion-dollar contract to protect U.S. diplomats.
The shooting enraged the Iraqi government, which originally sought to expel the company from the country, and strained diplomatic relations between Washington and Baghdad. It also raised questions about the U.S. reliance on heavily armed private contractors in war zones.
The final decision on any charges will not be made until late summer at the earliest, a law enforcement official said. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
The State Department publicly raised the question of Blackwater's corporate liability last month when it extended the company's contract by one year. The contract could still be canceled if criminal charges are brought, but the department said it was unlikely to penalize the corporation if only its employees were charged.
"I think that's really what the FBI investigation needs to look at: Is the company culpable or are the individuals culpable?" Greg Starr, the department's top security officer, said last month.