MIDDLE EAST:IRAQI PRIME Minister Nuri al-Maliki received a boost yesterday when Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for an end to clashes with the Iraqi army and said his followers would wage war only against foreign forces.
Mr al-Sadr's message indicates that his Mahdi Army militia will continue to observe the ceasefire imposed last year and will only fire on government forces if attacked.
Mr al-Sadr seems determined to back away from outright conflict with the government, which has US support for its ongoing campaign against militias.
He issued his call after overnight clashes killed 11 people and wounded 36 in his Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City. At least 380 people have died there since the government offensive began.
Mr al-Sadr's message followed the announcement on Thursday that the Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, has agreed to return to Mr al-Maliki's cabinet after a year's absence.
Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the bloc, said it had taken this decision because the government had met conditions set for return, such as freeing Sunni prisoners under the recently adopted amnesty law and engaging in a crackdown on Shia militias responsible for the murder and sectarian cleansing of Sunnis.
Once ministerial posts are agreed among factions belonging to the bloc, Mr al-Maliki is expected to reshuffle his cabinet.
