Sadr Reconsiders Political Role, Mahdi Army

A former member in the Mahdi Army told Al-Monitor, “Some of the leading figures in the Sadrist movement issued a secret decision, after some al-Qaeda members were freed from Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons, requesting the Mahdi Army to protect the Shiite regions against unexpected violent attacks.”

“The decision caused sharp differences within the Mahdi Army and the political body of the Sadrist movement. Intensive calls have been made to prevent any move by the Mahdi Army, which would destabilize the situation,” he added.

The former member, who was active in the Mahdi Army between 2006 and 2008, added, “The army’s leaders are the most extreme and inclined to the use of arms. They believe that the Shiite-led Iraqi government headed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has failed to protect Shiites from attacks by Sunni extremists and that they have to do something about it.”

On whether the Mahdi Army possesses weapons or not — despite that back in 2009, Sadr declared that the army had been suspended — the former member said, “The army’s leaders have weapons. Lately, it became clear that they certainly have large quantities of arms, especially with growing talk about a possible war with Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.”

The Mahdi Army has become a worrisome burden on the Sadrist movement, which seeks to become a political faction that does not work with weapons.

Nevertheless, the movement is likely to face great challenges in this quest, as many of its military wing’s leaders are characterized by a penchant for violence, sectarian sentiments and believe that the Shiite people are in constant danger, which compels them to be ready to fight.

This reality is weighing heavily on the movement’s political body, as those close to Sadr believe that the preparations for the parliamentary elections in 2014 require the exclusion of the Mahdi Army from the political scene.

Ali Abel Sadah is a Baghdad-based writer for both Iraqi and Arab media. He has been a managing editor for local newspapers as well as a political and cultural reporter for more than 10 years.