With al-Sadr’s march canceled, calm remains in Shiite stronghold of Shula

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Pfc. Felix Garcia (right), Pvt. Ivan Macias (center) and an interpreter relax outside an Iraqi Army compound during a break from manning an observation position Wednesday in the Shula neighborhood of Baghdad. The area remained quiet to despite expectations of violence following clashes between the Iraqi government and Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.


With al-Sadr’s march canceled, calm remains in Shiite stronghold of Shula
By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, April 10, 2008

BAGHDAD — The Shiite stronghold of Shula remained quiet Wednesday despite tensions still in place after radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s last minute decision to call off a march by his followers in Baghdad.

“We didn’t really know what to expect because this place is so volatile,” said Sgt. Cliff Ritter, a team leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment.

Al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia had originally planned a “million-man march” on Najaf, which the Shiite cleric later restricted to Baghdad. He backed off on the march altogether Tuesday, stating that he didn’t want Iraqi forces to attack his followers — although he said he would be “honored” if American forces would.

Notwithstanding the cancellation, American forces in Iraq had geared up for possible violence such as the attacks that happened at the end of March. A platoon with Company B, which is responsible for Shula, headed to a bridge overlooking the Baghdad neighborhood for a 24-hour stay to back up the local Iraqi army unit.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, though, the view from atop the bridge looked as normal as could be expected for a city with movement restrictions. Children played soccer on a major road. Shepherds herded sheep along a neighboring lane. And workers repaired street lamps in the median.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53954