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On Najaf
A wholly different perspective on the Najaf situation from my friends at the WSJ editorial page:
"...As Mr. Bush noted, the U.S. military has been making progress against our enemies in Iraq. Fallujah is calm, at least for the moment. And yesterday U.S. forces agreed to stop offensive operations against Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi militia after having shredded the radical cleric's rebellion. In recent days the Army's 1st Armored Division has arrested his chief lieutenant and killed hundreds of his fighters with just one casualty of its own -- to the point that Mahdi militia had little safe refuge other than mosques.
More important for future stability, Mr. al-Sadr was defeated with the help of other Iraqi Shiites. Respected Shiite clerics, led by Grand Ayatollah Sistani, issued a remarkable statement blaming the violence squarely on the shoulders of the young renegade.
Three Shiite members of the Iraqi Governing Council negotiated the cease-fire, which will prevent further damage to holy sites in Najaf and elsewhere by requiring the Mahdi militia to disarm and depart. The U.S. will withdraw most of its troops as well, but it will still protect returning Iraqi police and government buildings and have free movement through the city. The U.S. was also careful not to disavow the outstanding warrant against Mr. al-Sadr, who needs to be arrested sooner or later. All in all, a big coalition victory...."
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