Baghdad Commander Fil: Time of Shiite militias in Baghdad 'is over', but gives some credit to Sadr

BAGHDAD -- The general commanding American troops in Baghdad said today that the time of Shiite militias in the city "is over" and gave tacit credit to an anti-U.S. cleric, Muqtada Sadr, for American forces' ability to operate in once-hostile Shiite areas.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, who commands about 43,000 troops in Baghdad and three provinces to the south, said U.S. and Iraqi troops enforcing a security crackdown across the city had not anticipated being able to move into Sadr City, the cleric's stronghold, until later.

Instead, they entered Sadr City with virtually no resistance on March 4, three weeks after the crackdown began, and established a permanent post there.

"I think Sadr has been very clear in his guidance, that the time is now right for his followers to work with Iraqi security forces," Fil said of the Shiite leader, whose Mahdi Army militia fought bitter battles with American troops in the past.

Read the rest at the LA Times

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