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dritalin -> Mahdi Army decimated in recent fighting. (6/27/2008 4:26:24 PM)
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"More than 2,000 cadres from the Mahdi Army leaders were killed recently," an Iraqi intelligence official told Gulf News. "This led to the almost complete collapse of the army," the official said. An estimated 1,300 Mahdi Army fighters "escaped to safe houses in Iran." Muqtada al Sadr currently resides in Qom, Iran, under the protection of Iran's Qods Force.
In March, April, and May the Mahdi army took a huge hit in both tactical credibility, and popular support. Here are some figures provided by a Mahdi spokesman (US and Iraqi estimates as well as hospital records put the number at about double this)
Sadr City - 1,000 fighters
Basra - 415
Najaf, Karbala, Hillah, Diwaniyah, Amarah, Samawah, and Nasiriyah - 400
The inteligence report also shows that the fighting has turned the Jaish al-Mahdi from a militia of est 50,000 strong into a secret military of no more that 150-200. Recently Sadr ordered the Mahdi Army to dispand and formed the small group of operative hardliners on June 13.
Of course all is not over with the Sadr political movement. Muqtada ordered the sadr block to withdraw from provincial elections and reenter under independant parties. Personally my gut feeling is that this is going to mean political suicide for the Sadr movement, but we'll see what time will tell.
Also worth mentioning is the minimal role of US forces in the outcome of Basra, which was planned and executed by Iraqi forces under the direction of Maliki. At first the Iraqi army hit a brick wall in resistance, but quickly responded with reinforcements and took the fight to the militia and stuck a terrible blow, as testimant to the almost nill resistance in current operation in Amarah.
This victory over the Mahdi Amry could, I emphasize could, mean good things for the future of Iraq. Inshallah this could all be over by Christmas.
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