The Battle of Basra
Basra. Where the British were and where the surge wasn’t. Where Moqtada Sadr took support and arms (and military advisors?) from Iran and where the Baghdad government wasn’t. Until now.
It was one more thing the critics said would never happen, and that’s why they demanded it – to have the Iraqi army fight the Shiite militias in the name of the central government. But even critics of the war and the Iraqi government didn’t think to suggest that the Shiite Prime Minister go to the battlefield and encourage the national army to control the southern part of the country. But he did.
Basra. Where the British were and where the surge wasn’t. Where Moqtada Sadr took support and arms (and military advisors?) from Iran and where the Baghdad government wasn’t. Until now.
It was one more thing the critics said would never happen, and that’s why they demanded it – to have the Iraqi army fight the Shiite militias in the name of the central government. But even critics of the war and the Iraqi government didn’t think to suggest that the Shiite Prime Minister go to the battlefield and encourage the national army to control the southern part of the country. But he did.
Basra. Where the Iraqi Army fought for the oil terminals, the primary revenue sources, in the name of the country.
Basra. Iraq’s Altalena? “The arms belong to the government,” Ben Gurion said as he ordered the sinking of Menachem Begin’s ship bringing much-needed weapons to newly independent Israel, but in the name of the Irgun, not the government. Only one army can live in a country at any one time, and that army has to belong to the government. The other model is Lebanon. [The American army, like the British, is a holding operation to support the government, and it will leave. The Iranians are seeking permanent control of southern Iraq through the militias.]
The game isn’t over yet. The Iraqi army didn’t win an outright victory and the militias are being given time to stand down. Various Shiite groups, including some in the government, are still jockeying for power. The Iranian presence among the fighters is the most important reason to insist that the Baghdad government be the only one with an army in Iraq, and it is the reason we will likely see more bloodshed rather than less. But the al-Maliki government clearly understands it must govern everywhere. The indispensable MEMRI brings us an interesting comment from Moqtada Sadr in Tehran:
Sadr: It’s a little difficult to combine studying with the direct leadership of society. I can only move forward in one of these two directions. I have dedicated five years to society, and now I want to dedicate a few years to my studies, so I can be of more benefit to society… at this point in time, I want to progress in my knowledge and faith.
Interviewer: Since you claim that Iraq is now occupiedÉ do you support conducting acts of armed resistance, in order to liberate Iraq from the occupying American forces, as you call them?
Sadr: On condition that these acts do not harm the Iraqi people.
Asked if the Mahdi Army would be disbanded, Sadr replied: This will be the army of the Reformer [the Mahdi], Allah willing. At the end of time, the Mahdi will appear, and if by that time, we are still around, and if we are capable mentally, physically, militarily, and in terms of faith, we will all be his soldiers, Allah willing. Hence, the Al-Mahdi Army is a matter of faith, and it cannot be disbanded.
So, Sadr is going to devote himself to study in Tehran and the Mahdi Army will be ready when the Mahdi comes. Whenever. Sounds like a victory for the good guys and one more step in the creation of an Iraq that can determine its priorities and fight for them.