from the New York Times
 |
 |
 |
|
| Group | Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq | Sadr Party | Fadhila Party |
| Leader | Abdul Aziz al-Hakim | Moktada al-Sadr | Muhammad al-Waeli (local leader) |
| Militia | Badr Organization | Mahdi Army | No specific name |
| Formerly called Sciri, or the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Prime Minister al-Maliki’s government depends on support from this group, reducing its need for alliances with the Mahdi Army. | Mr. Sadr has been a vocal opponent of the American presence in Iraq. Before he declared a cease-fire last year, the Mahdi Army was involved in violent clashes with American forces. Iraqi Army operations in Basra are partly aimed at Mahdi Army strongholds. | Mr. Waeli, the governor of Basra Province, is the local leader of Fadhila, a splinter group of the Sadr Party. Iraqi officials indicated that some of the operations in Basra would be aimed at Fadhila militias, which are widely believed to control Basra’s port operations and other parts of the city. |
from McClatchy
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.