Standoff with Muqtada continues
The Army of the Mahdi fought a gun battle with US troops at Karbala on Tuesday. ‘ Fighting erupted shortly after midnight when Mehdi Army militiamen loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr fired mortar bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns at U.S. and Bulgarian positions in the town 70 miles southwest of Baghdad. Soldiers returned fire and the exchanges lasted till dawn, the witnesses said. Hospital sources said three gunmen were killed and nine wounded, including three in serious condition. ‘
A conference of leading Shiite clerics had called on Muqtada al-Sadr to disband his militia in Najaf. They appear to feel that the winds of change among the public are going against Muqtada.
I still expect a big blow-up if the Americans kill or arrest Muqtada.