That's somewhat consistent with his prior behaviors, but I also hope the Iraqi Army is true to Iraq. Many lives could be taken if they are not. It's too bad Sadr likely availed himself to influences of chaos. OTOH, maybe he saw that peace would be more beneficial to the people of Iraq. You never know what an absence can dissuade or promote. Our finest hope can only be that forces within Iraq will come together to end the bloodletting.Thanks, Trahan, and since al Sadr is behind this and other suspected eliminations, it would be just another America-hating killer taking over from another America-hating killer, Saddam Hussein. Al-Sad'r's goal has always been to take over, and he has a trained militia to make it happen. It's too bad this administration has taken it upon itself to snatch a defeat from the troops' victory in Iraq.
I don't think the Mahdi Army is strong enough to defeat the Iraqi Army. Back in 2008, the Iraqi army took over Sadr City without any involvement from the U.S. (it was Iraqi planned and executed). U.S. troops were involved earlier in a joint effort to control the southern third of Sadr City, but the final push was all Iraqi Army.
Sadr wants to make the Mahdi Army like Hezbollah, a well trained guerilla army that is the strongest force in the country, fortunately that is not the case in Iraq. The Mahdi Army are not as well trained, equipped or as good fighters as Hezbollah and like you say the Iraqi Army is better, but the Mahdi Army is good enough to create problems in the region especially if they are getting the support from Iran, which very well might be the case.