Yes It is going SO WELL in Iraq! "Sadr Group Pulling Out of Political Process"

[The Cleaner]

We're winning in Iraq! Defeating Al Qaida! Making progress!
:sarcasm:

NAJAF, Iraq (AFP) - The movement of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Saturday it would withdraw from the Shiite bloc that leads the Iraqi government, in a new blow to the faltering political process.

"The Sadr bloc will hold a press conference in Najaf (Saturday) evening where it will anounce its decision to withdraw from the Shiite alliance," spokesman Saleh al-Obeidi told AFP from the movement's headquarters in the Shiite holy city of Najaf.

Sadr MP Gufran Saad said the movement was quitting the alliance because it was no longer being consulted about key decisions.

"There are reasons for our withdrawal from the Shiite alliance. The alliance has been taking decisions single-handedly without reverting to the member blocs," Saad said.

The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) initially comprised four key Shiite factions -- the Sadr group, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council of Iraq (SIIC), the Dawa party and the Fadhila party -- and held 130 of the 275 seats in parliament.

However, the number dropped to 115 when the Fadhila party pulled out in March.

The Sadr bloc has 32 seats in parliament.

http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/070915134835.04bwzvj4.html

[tekisui]

1. All Maliki has left in his coalition is the Kurds....eom

[Igel]

2. Can you construct any scenarios in which this is a good thing?

Under what conditions would it be to al-Sadr's advantage to pull out (or to his disadvantage to stay)? Are they all negative for al-Maliki?