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Baghdad: Maybe the battle between the Iraqi government and Moqtada Al Sadr's Mahdi army gunmen has calmed down, however the resulting quiet has raised many questions among Iraqi political sources, most importantly is Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki, the most powerful man in Iraq?
"Surely Al Maliki has lost the support of Al Sadr who has a significant popular following in Shiite cities," said Tahseen Al Tamimi, an Iraqi political researcher.
"I do not exaggerate if I say that the followers consider Al Maliki as their mortal enemy after the US occupation. In turn, Al Maliki won the trust of a large number of Shiite intellectuals and elites who complained repeatedly that the militants' behaviour did not respect laws or education," Al Tamimi told Gulf News.
Articles appeared in newspapers about the fierce battles between the Iraqi forces and Mahdi army. They warned of a broad civil Shiite war of which Al Qaida and armed Sunni organisations of the dissolved Baath party would be the main beneficiaries.
"Politically, the US occupation took advantage of the battles in Basra to terminate the militias' authority ... besides Al Qaida's aim is to ignite a Shiite-Shiite civil war," said Talib Al Kadhimi, a political activist in the Al Dawa party (led by Al Maliki), in a statement to Gulf News.
Common trust
"I think if Al Maliki considers what the US and Al Qaida are thinking of the only beneficiary will be the lawless militias and as a result Iraqi state respect will be weak and Iraqis will face problems and suffering because of the militias' ongoing actions," he added.
As for the Sunni Arabs, it seems that Al Maliki's battle against the Shiite armed militias shattered the fear of him being a sectarian Shiite political leader.
Aziz Al Dulaimy, a member of the Sunni Islamic Party, told Gulf News: "I admit Al Maliki surprised the Sunni political forces with his firm and strict position against militias, particularly in Basra. I also admit he gained significant points in crystallising a common trust with wide Sunni groups, yet it must be noted Al Maliki did that in order to strengthen the influence of militias affiliated to the Al Dawa Party and to Abdul Aziz Al Hakim's party."
Al Dulaimy added: "If so then the Basra battle was for Al Maliki and Al Hakim and not for the Iraqi state and respect for the law. The coming days will determine which of the two analyses is correct."
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