The Good: Operations continue in Sadr City to flush out militia thugs by Iraqi Security Forces and US Forces. There is potential for the Mahdi Army being disbanded, but it depends on what the senior Shi'ite religious authorities tell Sadr to do. There has been little coming from Grand Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, which is most likely due to his poor health, unfortunately. He is arguably the most influential person in Iraq and was responsible for brokering the peace in 2004 between the Mahdi Army and coalition forces. It will be interesting to see what his spokesmen have to say.
The Bad: Four US soldiers were killed in action on Monday due to fierce fighting in Baghdad. The anti-occupation protests being called for by Sadr are planned for tomorrow as well.
The Ugly: The latest Salon piece to discredit the Petraeus/Crocker testimony to boost the rhetoric for the Dems proclaims that their anti-Iranian discussions are too harsh and "propaganda". Self-proclaimed expert of everything in the Middle East and liberal demagogue, Juan Cole, even says that there is no evidence that Iran directly provides weapons to the Mahdi Army! I guess the remnants of numerous blasts and explosions from Iranian mortars throughout the Green Zone I have heard/seen are all in my imagination. Oh well, he's a professor and smarter than me. However, I do think more rigorous with diplomacy is a good idea, and you can read about that here.
Grand Ayatollah Sistani: Key to Peace?
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