Clashes in the south may appear serious, but for some it is simply a struggle over who controls the spoils of corruption in Iraq's oil industry, writes Nermeen Al-Mufti Although the curfew in Baghdad has been lifted, traffic was remarkably light in the Iraqi capital in recent days as most inhabitants kept out of the streets. It is not only militia fighting that has taken a toll on the city. The price of vegetables and other foodstuffs shot up given that most supplies come to the capital from the southern and central provinces where clashes have been focussed. US military helicopters continued to fly frequently over Baghdad, especially in the vicinity of Sadr City, the stronghold of cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr. Meanwhile, the Green Zone has drawn sporadic mortar fire. Haydar Al-Kaabi, a fighter in Sadr's Mahdi Army, told Al-Ahram Weekly that 1,000 people were killed and wounded in Sadr City in the last few days, mostly civilians. About 25 Iraqi policemen and officers offered to surrender to the Mahdi Army, but the latter asked them to go back to their stations and not come again to Sadr City, Al-Kaabi noted. Are Sadr's followers going to lay down their arms any time soon? "We haven't decided yet," Al-Kaabi replied. "The Mahdi Army fighters and followers of the Sadr current are still a target of violence. I, for one, no longer carry guns. But there are others who still do. Few can trust the promises of Nuri Al-Maliki's government." The city's hospitals are full of casualties and short of medical supplies, he added. Prime Minister Al-Maliki, who left Basra after overseeing Operation Knights' Assault, ostensibly aimed at reasserting government control in Basra, told clan chiefs that the enemy they are fighting against is worse than Al-Qaeda. Sheikh Abdul-Sattar Abdul-Jabbar lost an eye when gunmen stormed his mosque in July 2006, burned copies of the Quran, and then shot him and left him dead. He said that the attackers were dressed in black, the trademark of the Mahdi Army. "They burned hundreds of Sunni mosques in Baghdad and killed thousands. They assassinated Sunni academics that opposed Iranian interference. Iraq and foreign media have always pointed the finger at the Mahdi Army, but the prime minister went on aiding and abetting them." A university professor speaking on condition of anonymity told the Weekly that police sources informed him that the gunmen who killed one of his colleagues last month may have been from the Mahdi Army. He added that dozens of university professors and over 70 women have been killed in the past four months. In Basra, where food and medicine shortages are said to be acute, Moqtada Al-Sadr's call on the Mahdi Army to lay down its weapons was greeted with relief in many quarters. Government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh said the government expects the Mahdi Army to comply with Sadr's call. He added, however, that the military operation would continue until its objectives are met. Over 375 people were killed with hundreds wounded over the past few days. Away from Basra, calm has been restored in most southern cities. A senior Iraqi officer told the Weekly that Operation Knights' Assault aimed to eliminate "criminal elements" in Basra, not smite supporters of Sadr. But he suggested that the latter acted with unusual belligerence during the recent confrontation. "Mahdi Army fighters started attacking Iraqi security forces in various locations. And they had taken control of many neighbourhoods before Al-Maliki arrived in Basra." Al-Maliki promised amnesty and financial reward for anyone handing over their weapons by 8 April. Police reports indicate that at least some militiamen are taking the offer. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said that dozens of gunmen started handing in their weapons. According to Hazem Al-Araji, one of Sadr's aides, this has not stemmed government provocations. US planes continued to shell Shoala City and Sadr City, he said. Several of Sadr's supporters are now criticising the "dictatorial" policies of Al-Maliki's government, though Al-Maliki came to office in 2005 because Sadr supporters backed him against Ibrahim Al-Jaafari. Meanwhile, Iran has interceded to stop the current fighting. Al-Maliki sent two parliamentarians, Ali A- Adib from Daawa Party and Hadi Al-Amiri from the Badr Organisation, to Iran for talks. According to media reports, the two men promised that Al-Maliki would leave Basra within hours and stop chasing down Sadr supporters. According to Raad Al-Janabi, a specialist in militia affairs, recent events show that religious parties are unfit to rule Iraq. "Most of the clashes that took place in Basra over the past few years were among various parties wishing to control the ports and smuggle oil abroad." Oil smugglers operating from Basra are said to be making up to $70 million in profit per month. "The current scene in Basra also has to do with provincial council elections in October. Every party wants to control the Basra provincial council, for this would give it control of oil and ports," Janabi pointed out. Sadr's call to end all hostilities, issued on the seventh day of fighting, may have been greeted with relief by the government, but until now it is not clear how it is being received within the Mahdi militia. Haydar Al-Jabiri, one of Sadr's senior aides, said that the Mahdi Army would only hand over its arms to a government that can drive the occupation forces out of Iraq.
