Sadr City Split Over Revolt

Four former Iraqi security officers from the Sunni neighbourhood of Adhamiya last week stood supervising the laying of mines alongside a street in Sadr City, site of a two-week-old Shia uprising led by followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

"In 1988 [during the Iran-Iraq war], we had intensive training in street fighting," said one of them, holding a remote detonator in his hand. "We received many mines and kept them. It is time to use them now."

"There is no difference between Sunni or Shia," said the officer, who wore street clothes in place of his old uniform to ensure he was not picked off by US snipers. "We don't defend just Sadr City, we defend all Iraq."

Despite a lull in the fighting in the centre of the uprising in the holy city of Najaf, members of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army continue to prepare to attack any US or Iraqi interim government troops who enter their neighbourhood.

"We won't stop fighting unless we receive orders from Najaf," said a Mahdi Army commander called Sayyid Mohammed in a phone conversation with IWPR on August 20.

Mohammed described himself as the commander of the Mualam al-Sadr squadron, named after Muqtada's elder brother who was killed along with their father by presumed regime agents in 1999.

"If Muqtada gets hurt, we will set all of Baghdad on fire,” he said. “We will shift the fight out of Sadr City and will blow up all the offices that collaborate with the occupation. We have many members who are ready to martyr themselves."

For many citizens, a renewed bout of fighting would be a chance to avenge relatives who have been killed in the clashes.

"I am happy that my son died in defence of his country against Jews and infidels," said Hamad Abdullah al-Furaiji, 56, who lost his 18-year-old son Maher on August 9.

"We received his body while playing popular music because we are sure he is going to paradise to be with Muqtada's father, Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr."

Hussein Kadhim, 35, lost his brother Mohammed, 21, on the same day.

"I am happy that my brother fought with dignity and died bravely," he said. "I will avenge my brother. I joined the squadron of the self-martyrs [suicide bombing] group. I am ready to blow myself up at any time."

Suhail al-Rubai, 26, meanwhile, said he will avenge his brother Jasem even if a ceasefire deal offered by the Iraqi National Conference, which met in Baghdad on August 15-19, bears fruit.

"My brother's blood won't be spent just like that," he said. "I will avenge my brother even if the Iraqi National Conference solves the crisis by imposing ceasefire between the Mahdi Army and the occupying forces."

Some Sadr City citizens, however, blame the Sadrist movement for the deaths of their relatives.

"The Mahdi army is responsible for the killing of my son," said Aziz Shakir, 66, who lost his 18-year-old Amer on August 8.

"They deluded him because he is a teenager. They convinced him to fight against a superpower with an old rifle."

Other locals oppose the Sadrists for having destroyed the economic life of the neighbourhood.

"Our family will be starving if the situation continues," said Ali Razzak, 24, a barber in Sadr City's al-Fallah street.

"We stopped working for six days when the Mahdi Army imposed the curfew. We reject the occupation, but we reject fighting them in such a way."

Aqil Jabbar is an IWPR trainee.