Sadr's militia regrouping, rearming

Hundreds of militiamen loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are rearming in their sanctuary in the Shiite holy city of Najaf in possible preparation for a new offensive, say US and Iraqi officials here.

As many as 80 Iranian agents are working with an estimated 500 Sadr militiamen, known as the Mahdi Army, providing training and nine 57-mm Russian antiaircraft guns to add to stocks of mortars, antitank weapons, and other armaments, according to Iraqi and US intelligence reports.

"They are preparing for something, gathering weapons; people are coming in buses from other parts of Iraq," says Michael al-Zurufi, the Iraqi security adviser of Najaf Province. "The most important are the Iran- ians. The Iranian people are trying to reorganize Sadr's militia so they can fight again."

At the same time, heavily armed Sadr militiamen are waging fear tactics, kidnapping local Iraqi police and family members, occupying buildings, and arresting Iraqis deemed critical of Sadr or in violation of Islamic law, residents and officials say.

Signs that the Sadr militia is regrouping after heavy losses in April and May come even as Iraqi leaders are attempting to nudge the firebrand cleric into the political arena. Uncertainty remains over whether the militia activity is unified and sanctioned by Sadr or primarily the work of factions of his lieutenants, the officials say. Both Iraqi and US officials are concerned about signs of significant Iranian influence with Sadr's forces.

"Sadr's the wild card," says Maj. Rick Heyward, operations officer for the 25th Infantry Division's I-14 battalion in Najaf.

In response, US and Iraqi commanders are fine-tuning contingency plans for possible attacks in the city, while bolstering newly recruited Iraqi police and national guard units with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. "Last week we bought $6,000 worth of heavy machine guns, RPG-7 rounds, AK-47s and ammunition," Najaf Province Gov. Adnan al-Zurufi said Wednesday. "We feel that this will help eliminate the threat."

Still, the governor and other Najaf officials readily admit they seek to avoid a confrontation with the Sadr militia now if possible. "We need to build ourselves, our police, our prisons," says Mr. Zurufi, who had only 10 police on duty when he took office in Najaf on May 5. "We have nothing here in Najaf now," he says as the lights flicker on and off in his downtown office, heavily guarded by Iraqi and US forces.

After Iraqi forces fled or joined Sadr's militia during the April uprising, Zurufi's administration had to rebuild them from scratch. Today, the province has 2,500 police, 800 Iraqi National Guard [ING] troops, and thousands of Iraqi guards. Still, many are poorly trained. "The police have a weak spirit, but they do their duty," admits Col. Amer Hamza, chief of staff of Iraqi police in Najaf.

Meanwhile, even their basic roles remain undefined. ING commander Akyl Khalil Bruhan complains that 500 of his 800 men are dispersed at different checkpoints, leaving only 300 as an active fighting force. "There are so many checkpoints, we don't have enough forces to control the area," he says.

Confusion over security roles led to a friendly-fire incident in Najaf earlier this week, when an ING patrol reported 80 Sadr militia had taken over a local hospital. ING and police surrounded the building and exchanged fire with forces at the hospital, only to learn that they were from Iraq's Facilities Protection Service.

Meanwhile, Sadr militia pressure local forces in Najaf as well as the nearby Shiite cities of Karbala, Hilla, and Diwaniya. "They are still trying to muscle the local security forces and set up illegal checkpoints," says Capt. Sean Stinchon, intelligence officer for the 1-14 battalion.

Shortfalls in Najaf's fledgling forces are one reason Governor Zurufi has taken a conciliatory stance toward aggressive moves by the militia.

Page: 1 | 2