Members parade in Sadr City

The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. The Islamist militants rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004 when it spearheaded the first major armed confrontation against the U.S-led occupation forces in Iraq from the Shiite community in an uprising that followed the banning of al-Sadr's newspaper and attempts to arrest him, and lasted until June 6. The group is armed with AKM (Kalashnikov) assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades, mortars, Strela anti-air missiles, and other light weapons. The Mahdi Militia also utilizes IEDs (improvised explosive devices also known as road-side bombs) during their attacks on Iraqi civilians, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. The truce agreed to in June was followed by moves to disband the militia and transform al-Sadr's movement into a political party to take part in the 2005 elections; Muqtada al Sadr ordered fighters of the Mahdi army to go into a ceasefire unless attacked first. The truce broke down in August 2004, with new hostilities breaking out. The Mahdi Militia currently operates in an intimidation role towards Iraqis, using their illegal weaponry to influence local government, infiltrate the police, and terrorize Sunni Iraqis and their supporters. The militia is believed to have infiltrated Iraqi police forces and to be involved in vigilante activities. National Independent Cadres and Elites party that ran in the 2005 Iraqi election was closely linked with the army. Image File history File links Al-Jazeera Photo of Mahdi Army File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Al-Jazeera Photo of Mahdi Army File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Overhead view of Sadr City Sadr City (formerly known as Saddam City and AThawra before that and since its establishment in 1959 by the then The Brigadier A. K. Quassim) is a vast low-income neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad, home to some two million Shia Muslims. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Shi‘as (the adjective in Arabic is شيعى shi‘i; English has traditionally used Shiite) which mean follower in Arabic make up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%-35% of all Muslim. ... Muqtada Al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada As-sadr) (born August 12, 1973 (Rajab 14, 1393 A.H. in the Islamic calendar) is the fourth son of the famous Iraqi Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and son-in-law of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir As... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ... The AK-47 is the worlds most common assault rifle. ... A Rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ... The National Independent Cadres and Elites (NICE) is an Iraqi political party. ... Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. ...

Early history

The Mahdi Army began as a small group of roughly 500 seminary students connected with Moqtada al-Sadr in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, formerly known as Saddam City. The group moved in to fill the security vacuum in Sadr City and in a string of southern Iraqi cities following the fall of Baghdad to U.S-led coalition forces on April 9, 2003. The group initially dispensed aid to Iraqis and provided security in the Shiite slums from looters. A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in theology, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... Sadr City (formerly known as Saddam City and Al Thawra) is a vast low-income neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad, home to some two million Shia Muslims. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: ‎ translit: , Kurdish: Bexda, from Persian Baagh-daad or Bag-Da-Du meaning “Garden of God” [1]) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ...

Gradually, the militia grew and was formalized by al-Sadr in June of 2003. Mahdi Army grew into a sizeable force of up to 10,000 militia who even operated what amounted to a shadow government in some areas. Al-Sadr's preaching is critical of the US occupation, but he did not initially join the Sunni Islamist and Baathist guerrillas in their attacks on the Coalition forces. A shadow government is a government-in-waiting that remains in waiting with the intent to take control of the government in response to some event. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Battles for the Shiite Heartland

Uprising Begins

Sadr's position changed dramatically, however, by the beginning of April. Following the closure of the Sadr-owned newspaper al-Hawza and the arrest of one of his senior aides, Sadr gave an unusually heated sermon to his followers on Friday, April 2, 2004. The next day, violent protests occurred throughout the Shiite south that soon spilled over into a violent uprising by Mahdi Army militiamen, fully underway by April 4, 2004. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

April hostilities

The Mahdi Army forces began an offensive in Najaf, Kufa, Kut, and Sadr City, seizing control of public buildings and police stations while clashing with coalition forces. The militants gained partial control of Karbala after fighting there. Other coalition forces came under attack in Nasiriyah, and British forces also came under fire in Amarah and Basra. Najaf and Kufa were quickly seized after a few firefights with Spanish troops, and Kut was seized after clashes with Ukrainian troops soon afterwards. Najaf (Arabic: ) is a city in Iraq, about 160 km south of Baghdad, located at 31. ... Kufa (الكوفة al-Kufa in Arabic) is a city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. ... KÅ«t (كوت; also known as Kut-Al-Imara and Kut El Amara) is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 100 miles south east of Baghdad, at 32. ... Karbalā (Arabic: ; also transliterated as Kerbala, Kerbela, or Karbila) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... NāşirÄ«yah (also transliterated as Nassiriya or Nasiriya; in Arabic الناصرية, al-Nasiriyah or an-Nasiriyah) is a city in Iraq. ... Amarah (sometimes written al-Amarah), is a city in southeastern Iraq, located next to the Tigris River waterway south of Baghdad, at 32°10N 46°03E. Predominately Shiite, it had a population of about 340,000 as of 2002. ... Location of Basra Basra (also spelled BaÅŸrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ...

After sporadic clashes, Coalition forces temporarily suppressed most militia activity in Nasiriyah, Amarah, and Basra. Mahdi rebels expelled Iraqi police from three police stations and ambushed U.S forces in Sadr City, killing seven U.S troops and wounding several more. U.S forces subsequently regained control of the police stations after running firefights with the fighters that killed dozens of Mahdi militiamen. Mahdi Army members still maintained some influence over many of the slum areas of Sadr City, however.

On April 16, Kut was retaken by US forces, and several dozen Mahdi Army members were killed in the battle. However, the area around Najaf and Kufa along with Karbala remained under the control of Sadr's forces. Sadr himself was believed holed up inside Najaf. Coalition troops put a cordon around Najaf with 2500 troops, but reduced the number of forces to pursue negotiations with Mahdi Army. At the beginning of May, coalition forces estimated that there were 200-500 militants still present in Karbala, 300-400 in Diwaniyah, an unknown number still left in Amarah and Basra, and 1,000-2,000 still holed up in the Najaf-Kufa region. April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ...

On May 4, coalition forces began a counter-offensive to eliminate Mahdi Army in southern Iraq following a breakdown in negotiations. The first wave began with simultaneous raids in Karbala and Diwaniyah on militia forces, followed by a second wave on May 5 in Karbala and more attacks that seized the governor's office in Najaf on May 6. 86 militiamen were estimated killed in the fighting along with 4 U.S soldiers. Several high ranking Militia commanders were also killed in a separate raid by US Army Special Operations units. On May 8, U.S forces launched a follow-up offensive into Karbala, launching a two-pronged attack into the city. U.S tanks also launched an incursion into Sadr City. At the same time, perhaps as a diversionary tactic, hundreds of Mahdi Army insurgents swept through Basra, firing on British patrols and seizing parts of the city. 2 militants were killed and several British troops were wounded. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... Army (from French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force. ... Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ...

On May 24, after suffering heavy losses in weeks of fighting, Mahdi Army forces withdrew from the city of Karbala. This left the only area still under their firm control being the Najaf-Kufa region, also under sustained American assault. Several hundred Mahdi Army rebels in total were killed (according to both the US Military, and various news agencies.) in clashes with the far better trained and equipped American forces. Unfazed by the fighting, Moqtada al-Sadr regularly gave Friday sermons in Kufa throughout the uprising. May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ...

June truce

On June 6, 2004, Moqtada al-Sadr issued an announcement directing Mahdi Army to cease operations in Najaf and Kufa. Remnants of the militia soon ceased bearing arms and halted the attacks on U.S forces. Gradually, militamen left the area or went back to their homes. On the same day, Brigadier General Mark Hertling, a top US commander in charge of Najaf, Iraq, stated "The Moqtada militia is militarily defeated. We have killed scores of them over the last few weeks, and that is in Najaf alone. [...] The militia have been defeated, or have left." June 6 effectively marked the end of Shiite uprising. The total number of Mahdi Army militamen killed in the fighting across Iraq is estimated at between 1,500 and 2,000. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Insignia of a United States Navy Commander Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. ... Najaf (Arabic: ) is a city in Iraq, about 160 km south of Baghdad, located at 31. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ...

The return of Najaf to Iraqi security forces following the cease-fire left Sadr City as the last bastion of Mahdi Army guerillas still pursuing violent resistance. Clashes continued periodically in the district following the end of the Najaf-Kufa battles. On June 24, Mahdi Army declared an end to operations in Sadr City as well, effectively ending militia activity, at least for the time being. Sadr appeared to be planning to turn his faction into a political party, having gained a good deal of public support. June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ...

After the 4 June truce with the occupation forces, al-Sadr took steps to disband the Mahdi Army. In a statement, he called on militia members from outside Najaf to "do their duty" and go home. US forces in Najaf were then replaced by Iraqi police. al-Sadr told supporters not to attack Iraqi security forces and set himself up to become a political force announcing his intention to form a party and contest the 2005 elections. He said the interim government was an opportunity to build a unified Iraq. Interim President Ghazi Yawer gave assurances that al-Sadr could join the political process provided he abandoned his militia. Iraqi officials also assured al-Sadr that he was not to face arrest. [1] June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... Ghazi al-Yawer Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer (born 1958? in Mosul, Iraq) is the interim President of Iraq. ...

August 2004 hostilities

After Sadr's milita besieged a police station in Najaf and the local governor called for assistance, the US military intervened again. US troops arrested Sadr's representative in Karbala, Sheikh Mithal al Hasnawi on 31 July [2] and surrounded al-Sadr's home on 3 August, with heavy gunfire, mortar shelling and grenade blasts. The apparent aim was to arrest al-Sadr and destroy his movement. [3], [4], [5], [6] British troops in Basra also moved against al-Sadr followers, arresting four on 3 August. After the expiry of a noon deadline to release them on 5 August, the Basra militia men declared holy war on British forces. [7] July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... Location of Basra Basra (also spelled Başrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad Jihaad or Djehad, (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the...

On 5 August, via his spokesman Ahmed al-Shaibany, al-Sadr re-affirmed his commitment to the truce and called on US forces to honour the truce. He announced that if the restoration of the cease-fire failed "then the firing and igniting of the revolution will continue". [8] The offer was rejected by the governor of Najaf, Adnan al-Zurufi ("There is no compromise or room for another truce") and US officials ("This is one battle we really do feel we can win"). [9]. August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ...

In the days that followed fighting continued around the old city of Najaf, in particular the Imam Ali shrine and the cemetery. The Mahdi army, estimated at 2,000 in Najaf, was outnumbered by some 2,000 US marines and 1,800 Allawi security forces, and at a disadvantage due to the vastly superior American firepower and air cover, such as helicopters and AC-130 gunships. On 13 August, the militia was trapped in a cordon around the Imam Ali shrine. While negotiations continued between the interim government and the Mahdi army, news came that al-Sadr had been wounded [10] August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ...

On 12 August, British journalist James Brandon, a reporter for the Sunday Telegraph was kidnapped in Basra by unidentified militants. A video tape was released, featuring Brandon and a hooded militant, threatening to kill the British hostage unless US forces withdrew from Najaf within 24 hours. Brandon was released after less than a day, following intervention by al-Sadr. At a press conference immediately after his release, Brandon commented on his treatment and thanked his kidnappers: "Initially I was treated roughly, but once they knew I was a journalist I was treated very well and I want to say thank you to the people who kidnapped me." A spokesman for al-Sadr said: "We apologise for what happened to you. This is not our tradition, not our rules. It is not the tradition of Islam." [11], [12] For more information on the standoff in Najaf, see Iraqi insurgency. August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... James Brandon (born 20 September 1980) is a British journalist, most recently working in Iraq freelance on assignment from the Sunday Telegraph and The Scotsman, covering the occupation and resistance. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... Iraqi militants celebrating orders being given to the surrounding Coalition forces to stand down, Fallujah, May 1 2004. ...

Iraqi reactions

The uprising seemed to draw an ambivalent reaction from the Iraqi population, which for the most part neither joined or resisted the rebels. Many Iraqi security forces melted away, wishing to avoid confrontation. In a sign of Mahdi Army's unpopularity in Najaf, however, which follows more traditionalist clerics, a small covert movement sprung up to launch attacks on the militants. The uprising did receive a good deal of support from Shiite radicals in Baghdad, however, who were galvanized by the simultaneous siege of the city of Fallujah. This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ...

Recent developments

Since August the Army and al-Sadr have not challenged coalition troops on a wide scale. Neither the coalition or the Iraqi government has made any move to arrest al-Sadr and they have not challenged the Army's de facto control over a number of areas in southern Iraq. The Army continues to provide security in a number of southern cities. The movement is believed to have infiltrated the Iraqi police forces, and to have been involved in the September arrest of two British soldiers by Iraqi police[13]. Former Prime Minister Allawi was assaulted by a mob in a town where the Mahdi army is influential[14]. The Mahdi Army has also participated in battles against Sunni insurgents and may be operating its own justice system[15].

Loyalists to al-Sadr ran under the National Independent Cadres and Elites banner in the 2005 Iraqi election. Though a number of the movements supporters felt that the election was invalid. The party finished sixth overall in the election and will be represented in the transitional legislature. Another twenty or so candidates aligned with al-Sadr ran for the United Iraqi Alliance. The National Independent Cadres and Elites (NICE) is an Iraqi political party. ... Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. ... The United Iraqi Alliance (Arabic: الائتلاف العراقي الموحد; transliterated: al-Itilāf al-`Irāqī al-Muwaḥḥad) is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes in the December 15, 2005, National Assembly election in Iraq. ...

The Mahdi Army has also recently pledged military support to Iran if Iran were to be attacked by Western forces [16], and participated in attacks allegedly murdering innocent civilians in hospitals [17].

Name

The name Jaysh al-Mahdī has apocalyptic connotations to a Muslim's ear: in Islamic theology, the Mah'dī is an end-times figure who it is said will assist the Masīh to destroy the Dajjāl and establish a global Islamic khilāfah in preparation for the Yaum al-Qiyāmah; in more familiar terms, it is believed that the Mahdī will come to help the Messiah (i.e., Jesus, referred to in Islam as `Īsā ibn Mariyam) to defeat the Antichrist (literally, al-Masīh al-Dajjāl means "the Deceiving Messiah"), before establishing a just Islamic social order in preparation for Judgement Day. Look up Apocalypse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Masih is the Arabic name for Messiah. ... ad-Dajjal (Arabic: دجّال) (The Deceiver) is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology, who will appear before Yaum al-Qiyamah. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph (  listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Yawm al-QÄ«yāmah (Arabic: ‎ literally: Day of the Resurrection) is the Arabic name for the Last Judgement. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew , Aramaic ) initially meant any person who was anointed by a prophet of God. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE — 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Main article: Jesus Islam holds Jesus (Arabic: ‎ `Īsā) to have been a messenger and a prophet of God and the Masih. ... In Christian eschatology and Islam, the Antichrist, Anti-christ or Dajjal (literally: anti, opposite; christ, Jesus) has come to mean a person, image of a person, or other entity that is the embodiment of evil and utterly opposed to truth, according to Christianity, while convincingly disguised as wholly good and... The term Judgement Day may refer to: The Last Judgement; the ethical-judicial trial, judgement, and punishment/reward of individual humans (assignment to Heaven or to Hell) by a divine tribunal at the end of time. ...

In the Twelver school of Shi`ite Islam, the Mahdī is believed to have been an historical figure identified with the Twelfth Imām, Muhammad al-Mahdī, and is therefore called al-Imām al-Mahdī. It is believed that he is still present on earth "in occultation" (i.e., hidden), and will emerge again in the end times. Those Shi`ites of this school believe that the Imām Mahdī is the rightful ruler of the whole Islamic community (ummah) at any given time, and he is therefore also called Imām al-Zamān, meaning "Imām of the Age." Twelvers or the Ithna Asharia are members of the group of Shias who believe in twelve Imams. ... Shi‘as (the adjective in Arabic is شيعى shi‘i; English has traditionally used Shiite) which mean follower in Arabic make up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%-35% of all Muslim. ... Imam (Arabic: إمام ,Persian: امام ) is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... MuhÌ£ammad al-MahdÄ« (born 868) (Arabic: ‎ ) is the twelfth and final Shia Imam. ... Umma (Arabic: ) is an Arabic word meaning community or nation. ...

See also

• Mahdi
• Moqtada al-Sadr
• Badr Organization A rival Shia militia operating in Southern Iraq.

The Mahdi (Arabic: ‎ translit: , also Mehdi; Guided One), in Islamic eschatology, is the prophesied redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect Islamic society before Yaum al-Qiyamah (literally Day of the Resurrection). The exact nature of the Mahdi differs according to Sunni and Shia Muslims. ... Muqtada Al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada As-sadr) (born August 12, 1973 (Rajab 14, 1393 A.H. in the Islamic calendar) is the fourth son of the famous Iraqi Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and son-in-law of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir As... The Badr Organization originally the Badr Brigade or Bader Corps is the armed wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. ...

External links

• BBC - Who are Iraq's Mehdi Army?
• (News.com.au)
• Ellen Knickmeyer. "'Shiite Giant' Extends Its Reach", Washington Post, 24 August 2006.
• Ellen Knickmeyer. "Sadr's Militia and the Slaughter in the Streets", Washington Post, 25 August 2006.
• Ellen Knickmeyer. "Disavowed by Mahdi Army, Shadowy 'Butcher' Still Targets Sadr's Foes", Washington Post, 25 August 2006.