– IRAQ’S AMARA MAYOR ARRESTED IN IRAQ

 

Iraqi army, backed by USA units, conducts since 06/17/2008 a major crackdown – Operation Basha’ar al-Salam (Promise of Peace), against Shiaa militia groups in the Southern Maysan province and its capital Amara.

Amara, a city of 350,000 people, is inhabited mainly by Shiites, has huge numbers of people living in abject poverty and has long served as a key centre for support of Moqtada Sadr anti-US stance and conservative Islamic politics.

Amara is said to be a stronghold of the Mahdi Army and a centre for weapons smuggling activity from Iran. The operation was launched despite the cease fire with the Shiite pro-Iranian cleric Moqtada Sadr and the Mahdi Army militia.(see – Mahdi Army cease fire )

Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, has told security forces to refrain from random arrests of Moqtada Sadr supporters from the Mahdi Army during the operation. However, some analysts say the crackdown has been employed to weaken the movement of Moqtada Sadr, the Shiite leader, and a rival to Nuri al-Maliki.

Large weapons caches were discovered after a deadline expired for fighters to surrender their arms or face arrest. The mayor of Amara has been arrested over his alleged links to Shiaa Muslim militias along with few dozens of Mahdi Army militia members.

 

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