Bush's plan raises concerns among Al Sadr followers

Baghdad: After the announcement of US President George W. Bush's new strategy on Iraq, the political Shiite leaderships are heading towards the Supreme Shiite Authorities in Najaf.

Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, the Shiite coalition leader, met the religious guide Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, as did Mofaq Al Rubaei, the national security adviser who previously met the young Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr.

Some sources confirmed that Shiites are preparing a plan to settle the Iranian influence in Iraq and the fate of the Mehdi Army led by Al Sadr before the stable Shiite-American relationship turns to escalation and confrontation.

Riyadh Al Nouri, a prominent figure in the Al Sadr camp, warned against sending additional US troops to Iraq.

He told Gulf News: "The Mehdi Army's is for self-defence not to implement terrorist operations and, therefore, it is not concerned with any security plan in Baghdad.

"The Americans are preparing to attack the Mehdi Army and they don't need a pretext to do that. Maliki's word doesn't seem to be convincing to the Americans nor to the Sunni Arabs who accuse the Mehdi Army of being involved in sectarian assassinations and depopulating Baghdad from Sunnis."

The Shiite coalition faces an inner discord between two sectors. One of them is led by Al Hakim, Al Jaafari, Al Maliki and Al Rubaie who believe in further response with the US issue of rebuffing the Iranian influence.

Some confidential reports say President Bush submitted strong evidence to Al Hakim and Al Maliki of Iranian involvement in the Iraqi security situation through supporting various armed groups.

This team wants to dissolve the Mehdi Army and remerge some of its elements in state institutions.

The other team is the Sadr group of supporters, including the Fadhila Party and some independent members in the Shiite coalition who prefer confrontation with America because they think the real reason behind incurring the Mehdi Army is to appease Baath members and arrange for Sunni Arabs' annexation in the political process.

"The perfect foundation of any new security plan set by either President Bush or Al Maliki is to achieve a balance in fighting extremists on both sides," said Ala'a Makki, a leader in the Sunni Accordance Front, to Gulf News.

He added: "I believe if Al Maliki's decisions were taken according to this base, it would lead to a successful government and security restoration in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. The Sunni political forces urge Al Maliki to take a courageous decision to strike the Mehdi Army and other armed Shiite militia backed by Iran."

Analysts in Baghdad say the decision to withdraw US troops from Iraq is in the hands of President Bush who has persuaded the Iraqi Kurdish and Shiite leaders to fight the Iranian influence and to rebuff the Mehdi Army, otherwise the Iraqi political process will collapse and the US will withdraw support for the Iraqi government.