The picture from Basra is now becoming clearer. The operations that began at the end of March have succeeded - to a considerable extent - in ending militia dominance of the city.
In the same way that Sunni-US co-operation blossomed after al-Qaeda had overplayed its hand by terrorising the communities it controlled, it may be that the Shia militias have sickened public opinion against them. This from AFP:
"Iraqi forces have taken control of the last militia stronghold of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern city of Basra, the US military said in a statement on Saturday. It said Iraqi troops began the last stage of Operation Saulat al-Farsan (Charge of the Knights) on Friday in Basra's northern neighbourhood of Al-Huteen, a bastion of Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. The operation included clearing and searching homes in the area, it said. "Al-Huteen, part of the Five Mile Market neighbourhood of Basra, had been considered a stronghold for criminal elements of the Jaysh al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) militia," the statement said. "But, when the soldiers.... moved into the city, the local citizens actively welcomed and cooperated with them."
And this from Friday's Times:
"Young women are daring to wear jeans, soldiers listen to pop music on their mobile phones and bands are performing at wedding parties again. All across Iraq’s second city life is improving, a month after Iraqi troops began a surprise crackdown on the black-clad gangs who were allowed to flourish under the British military. The gunmen’s reign had enforced a strict set of religious codes..."
The ringleader of trouble in southern Iraq - Al-Sadr "is believed to be in Iran" (IHT). Enough said.
There's still a long way to go in southern Iraq but the Maliki initiative - although flawed - appears to have given Basra a new chance of peace.
