No need for Mehdi Army if US forces withdrawn, Sadrist

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A leading member in Ahrar bloc, affiliate to the National Alliance, said that there is no justification for the return of the military wing of Sadrist Trend, Mehdi Army, if the US forces are withdrawn, pointing out that his bloc will “strongly” support the government. Ameer al-Kinani told IraqiNews.com that “the Mehdi Army was frozen for the last two years, thus there is no justification to return it if the US forces are withdrawn from Iraq “. “We will strongly support the government upon instruction of our leader Muqtada al-Sadr”, he added. He confirmed that “this support should be cautious for fear of any attempt to ignite any crisis or un-peaceful attempt in the country”. Last April, Muqtada al-Sadr threatened to re-activate the Mehdi Army if the US forces are not withdrawn in time, but, after three months, he decided freezing the Mehdi Army even if the US forces did not withdraw. On the latest explosions in Sadr city, he said that “these matters are expected because there are circles want to mix all political cards, including Baathists and Qaeda members”. Sadr city, east of Baghdad , witnessed new security developments by increasing attacks against civilian targets, where tens of casualties were reported. 229