Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend assigns its so-called “Promised Day Brigade,” to fight Americans

BAGHDAD  / IraqiNews.com: A Legislature from al-Ahrar (liberals) Bloc, of Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend, has said on Monday that the Trend’s Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, had assigned the mission of its Al-Mahdi Army to its socalled “Promised Day Brigade,” who said “is fighting the Americans, with a high technique.”   “The Leader of the Sadrist Trend, Muqtada al-Sadr, has assigned the mission of Al-Mahdi Army to the ‘Promised Day Brigade,’ now fighting the American occupation forces,” Mushriq Naji told al-Sharq al-Awsat (Middle East) Newspaper.   He said: “the decision was taken due to the escalation of corruption cases in the ranks of the elements, claiming enrolment to al-Mahdi Army.”   “The decision to freeze al-Mahdi Army, issued in 2008, shall continue, according to the new decision (by Muqtada al-Sadr), even in the event of the non- withdrawal of the Americans,” Naji said, stressing that “the Promised Day Brigade is carrying out the missions of resistance now and in the future, in the event of non-withdrawal of the Americans.”   The Sadrist Legislature said that: “the said Brigade is the military framework, enjoying high vocation and technique, reflected in its mission in fighting the occupier only, and there won’t be any appearance in the street from now on under the name of al-Mahdi Army.”   Al-Mahdi Army is an armed militia, belonging to the Shiite al-Sadr Trend, was established by the Trend, led by the young Shiite Clergyman, Muqtada al-Sadr, after Iraq’s occupation by the U.S.-led forces in 2003.   Noteworthy is that the Strategic Treaty, signed between Baghdad and Washington, covers the complete withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq by the end of December of the current year.   SKH (TR)/SR 631