Maliki, al Sadr, the surge, and other stuff...

Battles wrack Basra, threatening success of U.S. surge
By Leila Fadel and Ali al Basri | McClatchy Newspapers
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
BAGHDAD — Bloody clashes between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi government forces paralyzed the southern port of Basra Tuesday as the Iraqi government swore that it would cleanse the city of militia influences.

Residents of Basra cowered in their homes as Mahdi Army militiamen and Iraqi security forces battled across the second largest city in Iraq. Some 15,000 Iraqi Army and National Police were brought in to the city to take control. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, as well as the country's defense and interior ministers, were in the city to oversee the effort.

Note: this is the same Iraqi govt and the same Maliki that two months ago gave us:

KARBALA, Iraq (AFP) — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared a major offensive against Al-Qaeda on Friday, promising a "decisive battle" after dozens of people including a police chief were killed in bomb attacks in Mosul.
[Iraq PM promises 'decisive battle' against Al-Qaeda, AFP, 25 Jan 2008]

Meanwhile, our creature, Moqtada al Sadr, is once again an "anti-American" cleric. For a while there he'd been rehabilitated, as an "influential" cleric, or a "nationalistic" cleric, or a "prominent" cleric. Guess he just didn't know his place! A quick re-cap of recent action:

US, Iraqi troops battle Shiite militia
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
25 March 2008
BAGHDAD - Iraq's leaders faced their gravest challenge in months Tuesday as Shiite militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battled government forces for control of the southern oil capital, fought U.S. and Iraqi troops in Baghdad and unleashed rockets on the Green Zone.

As noted below, we - U.S. & Iraq govt - continue to attack political problems with military solutions, tho' all agree that the problems are not amenable to a military solution!

Stop the madness!