Mahdi Army's elite core likely have left Iraq with Sadr.
In others words he has put the U.S. ambition to destroy the Sadrist in the Shi'ite community out of reach as Sadr and his elite Mahdi are now in IRAN.
He is ripping out one of the 2 prime objectives of the Surge operation( the other the Sunni factions).
Strategically this was brilliant by Sadr.
It is like when Russians kept retreating when faced with Napoleon.
But in this case all they need do is just move into Iran while U.S. troops are running all around Baghdad with Bush harping "SURGE SURGE, run around MORE for your Big Boss--need armor? What are you, wimps?? Be brave like this The Great ChickenHawk, me--GWB, THE DECIDER!"-- so sickening the POS POTUS we have. Max
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Al Sadr Fled Iraq, Fearing U.S. Bombs
Insurgent Leader Reportedly Moved to Iran With Members of Mahdi Army
Feb. 13, 2007 — - While members of the U.S. House of Representatives take turns weighing in on President Bush's planned troop surge in Iraq, the focus in Iraq is not on the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country's most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.
According to senior military officials, al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family.
Al Sadr commands the Mahdi army, one of the most formidable insurgent militias in Iraq, and his move coincides with the announced U.S. troop surge in Baghdad.
Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital. One official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz, "He is scared he will get a JDAM [bomb] dropped on his house."
Sources say some of the Mahdi army leadership went with al Sadr.
Though he is gone for now, many believe al Sadr is not gone for good. In Tehran he is trying to keep the Mahdi militia together.
In recent months, al Sadr has come to the political table to force change rather than use military force to have an impact.(edit:Sadr is a strategist--he was being "aw i am your friend, and getting all set to slip out the back door" This is a sharply smart man--something hard for americans to grasp that were told over and over he was a mindless thug. In amerca's usual propaganda stream of utter BS--max) Sources say an even more extreme faction within his militia isn't pleased with this turn of events and is trying to force the cleric to respond to recent Sunni attacks with more violence.
U.S. officials say they are going to watch those members of the Mahdi army left behind in Baghdad. Sources say two scenarios are possible: Either al Sadr will be driven further into extremist mode or he will continue going forward with the political process.
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