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Source: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Policywatch/policywatch2004/891.htm
The Latest Challenge from Al-Sadr
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Jeffrey White and Anna Solomon-Schwartz - Iraqi Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is once again attempting to foment a rebellion. Military engagements are usually lopsided (though indecisive) affairs, with al-Sadr's militia taking disproportionate casualties. Coalition troops rely heavily on precise and overwhelming firepower, while the militiamen employ hit-and-run tactics featuring mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms. The militiamen stay as close as possible to the shrines, knowing that this imposes significant limitations on U.S. and, to a lesser extent, Iraqi security forces. Moreover, scenes of fighting around the shrines galvanize Shi'is across the region. Although Prime Minister Allawi appeared strong at the beginning of the current crisis, he is now vacillating between negotiations and force, taking half-measures that serve to keep al-Sadr on the political scene.