Did Iran Sacrifice Sadr?

An interesting discussion of the Sadrist movement, its relations with the government and Iran, and its political posture after the Basra campaign took place on the Al-‘Arabiya satellite channel. The debate occurred in the context of the political show “Panorama,” presented by Muntaha al-Rumhi, whose central question was: “did the Iraqi Shi’a (parties) and Iran agree on weakening the Sadrist movement?”
A leading Sadrist MP, Salah al-‘Ubaidi was invited, along with a representative of the pro-Maliki Shi’a Coalition, MP Haydar al-‘Abadi, and ‘Abd al-Lateef Rayyan, “a media adviser for the Coalition Forces” to discuss the topic.

Al-Rumhi pointed out that the Mahdi Army, the military wing of the Sadrist Current, has become a “fugitive” both in the eyes of Iran (which was accused of supporting his movement and supplying it with weapons) and the pro-government Shi’a parties. Furthermore, rumors claim that Muqtada is considered “Persona non Grata” in Iran, and may soon be legally prosecuted in Iraq, with leaks suggesting that the Khu'i murder investigation (in which Muqtada was named as a suspect) will be re-opened.

Al-‘Arabiya’s Baghdad correspondent, Najah Muhammad ‘Ali, presented a more nuanced view of the Iran-Sadr relationship, claiming that Sadr is neither an enemy or a vassal to Iran. But that competing forces exist within the Iranian regime, some of which (which tend to be the “radical” ones) support Sadr, while more “moderate” wings prefer an alliance with the “traditional” Shi’a parties: the SIIC and Da’wa.

Al-‘Ubaidi, on the other hand, confirmed rather than denied news of rifts between his movement and Iran, and Iran’s encouragement of the anti-Sadr campaign. The Sadrist MP claimed that the Iranian government “may have benefited” from some of the Current’s past actions, but that Muqtada “has refused to be an obedient slave” to Iranian policymakers. Relations with Iran have not reached “enmity,” al-‘Ubaidi clarified, “but we refuse to be unequal followers.” While not denying past Iranian support for the Mahdi Army, al-‘Ubaidi said that stories of massive Iranian arms shipments are “greatly exaggerated.”

On the other end, Haydar al-‘Abadi, who is a member of Maliki’s Da’wa party, adopted a paternalistic tone in addressing to the Sadrist Current (as leaders of the two “traditional” Shi’a parties often do.) Al-‘Abadi insisted that the government’s past support of the Mahdi Army (According to the anchor, government officials used to claim that all Mahdi Army operations were “in self-defense”) was meant to “protect” the Sadrist movement, and “lead it into the political process,” and convince it “to abandon its weapons.” Some Sadrist leaders, he added, refuse to do so, which forced the government to confront the Mahdi Army and the “organized crime” that gets carried out under its name.

The al-‘Arabiya debate was conducted while new developments were taking shape on the Iraqi political scene, with clashes continuing in Sadr City between Iraqi government forces and the Mahdi Army. The government is also experiencing renewed tensions with the Sadrist movement in Basra, where – according to al-Jazeera – “government forces encircled the main headquarters of the (Sadrist) Current” demanding that the building – which belongs to the state – be evacuated.

Sadr City, the Iraqi and Arab media reported, may face the same fate that was visited in the past upon Baghdadi Sunni neighborhoods: US and Iraqi forces are in the process of isolating the slum (housing millions - of mostly Shi’a - Iraqis) by building tall barriers between its sectors and Baghdad proper. The isolation of Sadr City, Az-Zaman noted, is intended to prevent armed Sadrists from “infiltrating” the capital and attacking US and Iraqi forces. And is, Az-Zaman said, a “first step” in the “reconstruction” of the City.

Lastly, two senior military commanders in the Basra campaign were replaced yesterday, according to government-owned As-Sabah. The paper said that the Basra Police Chief and the Head of the Basra Operations were transferred from their positions (by the order of Nuri al-Maliki) and “promoted” to new posts in the Ministries of Defense and the Interior. The paper quoted officials who insisted that the change was prompted by the “accomplishment of the Basra operations” and not due to “incompetency” on behalf of the departing officers.

Az-Zaman sensationalized the news item, claiming that the replacement of the highly-decorated officers came from “the Iranian lobby in the Iraqi government,” and that Maliki “submitted to pressures” to relieve the two commanders who were “known for their enmity towards militias and the Iranian influence.”