BAGHDAD — The militia that was once the biggest defender of poor Shiites in Iraq, the Mahdi Army, has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighborhoods across Baghdad, in an important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq.
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The shift, if it holds, would solidify a transfer of power from Mr. Sadr, who had lorded his once broad political support over the government, to Mr. Maliki, who is increasingly seen as a true national leader.
It is part of a general decline in violence that is resonating in American as well as Iraqi politics: Senator John McCain argues that the advances in Iraq would have been impossible without the increase in American troops known as the surge, while Senator Barack Obama, who opposed the increase, says the security improvements should allow a faster withdrawal of combat troops.
The Mahdi Army’s decline also means that the Iraqi state, all but impotent in the early years of the war, has begun to act the part, taking over delivery of some services and control of some neighborhoods.
source
Another positive development, but not one we should take for granted. The Mahdi (Mehdi) Army may be seriously weakened at the moment but that doesn't mean they can't reconstitute themselves. In yesterday's post on this subject I made mention of the Iranians paying close attention to what's going on in Iraq. Well in my opinion they would like nothing more than an escalation in violence to draw the world's attention away from themselves. I wouldn't be surprised to see them increasing support to the remaining bad actors.
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