because Iran backed militias in Iraq are known as THE IRAQI ARMY - and are under the control of Badr and Hakim, who are closely aligned with Maliki, and they are not living in Sadr City.

And Sadr's militia, the Mahdi army, are not hiding behind civilians either.

THEY LIVE THERE.

And they are not going away.  

And we would get out of Iraq sooner is bullshit.  The US authorities, like bush and his cronies (including democrats) HAVE NO PLANS TO EVER LEAVE.

You are really uninformed. (also - no evidence that Sadr is currently in Iran, but even if he is, he does not have the ties to Iran that Hakim and Maliki do.)

of those people you call

"These thugs in Sadr City are not some national liberation force - they are under the pay and tribute of Sadr"

Take a look at that photo..... and realize that most of those men are PAYING SADR whatever they can because they believe in him and believe in Iraq - an Iraq that is free of US and Iranian interference.

Not all of Iran is involved with this dirty illegal war that Bush lied us into and then kept changing the reasons we are there.  There happen to be many civilians there too.  Mothers, fathers, children ... you know people  If you watch the clip you will see that unlike the images of Iran presented by your friends at Fox news, Iran is actually a very cosmopolitan country.

Should we bomb them because they are engaging in the same type of behavior we are (fighting a war in another country)?

If we were not in Iraq our soldiers would not be targets for any militias; Shia militias backed by Iran or Sunni (Al Qeada) militias backed by the Saudi Royal family ( you know Bush's buddies).  Sorry to break it to you Richie, but the solution to your upset is not more war and bombing every country you have disagreements with.  It is realizing we are ALL interconnected and war solves NOTHING.

 Get past the "them and us" mentality Richie ... you'll sleep better at night.

sponsored groups; the Mahdi army is very nationalistic and al Sadr is very much opposed to Khomeinism.
The Sunnis are old line Baathists, supported by the Saudis, we are paying to behave while the Kurds Pesh Merga is supporting PKK raids on Turkish territory.  There has been no large capture of Iranian arms from Mahdi Army sources nor have theie been captures of Qod operatives training Mahdi Army types.
There are some 50 militias active in Iraq. I think you will find that the attacks on Sadr City are an attempt by the US to clear away a deadzone around the Green Zone so the GZ will not be under daily rocket and mortar fire as it now.

As to our plans for the Middle East, Taliban operatives penetrated 18 rings of security around the imperial palace in Kabul to take potshots at Karzai and his officials. Only 3 guards were killed but the Taliban had Israeli made minimortars that Olmert had provided to Fatah and Abbas.

Makes one wonder if the al Arabiya view of Iraq really has any ties to reality instead of military wishful thinking.      

are not some national liberation force -

No, the Mahdi Army is not "the " liberation force but they are the most consistent ones wanting an independent Iraq. Good question:

  Who is now among the true  national liberation forces?

  Who is asking for all foreign fighters to leave Iraq? What foreign fighters are in Iraq? Maliki and the Badr corp militias are closer to Iran than the Mahdi Army  He took refuge there and lived there for years. The Iraqis want an independent Iraq without a foreign occupier, be that USA or Iran.

 Right now there is an unofficial deal between Iran and the the US to keep the genuine forces opposed to either at bay.  The Sunnis that were marginalized for the last several years are now on the payroll to keep them OUT of the fight and allow Maliki a free hand.

  The Mahdi Army has been in stand down officially since last summer.  That has allowed Maliki to regroup and make a move against them because they are his rivals in the Shia community.  At some point the Sunni and Shia elements that want their own Iraq will get together and demand the foreigners leave.
The UN mandate that was extended is over in December.

  The Iraqi parliament has been asking unofficially because Maliki refuses to have a vote on it for the USA to declare a date they will leave.

 What the Bushies and the neocons refuse to face is that there is no reliable partner for the USA in Iraq. There are only the bought, like Maliki and his Dawa which is a small Shia party with no militia of its own, the several groupings of Sunni Awakening who are on the payroll, and the Iraqi Army which is mostly Shia Badr Corp, Virtue,  and others and Kurds with minimum Sunni of any kind.

 After 4 years of "training" they still have no real
enthusiasm to launch and fight a civil war at Maliki and Ambassador Crocker's direction.  Iran is supporting  groups that are friendly to them. It happens to be a large, large part of southern Iraq and beyond.

  Iranians want a peaceful  neighbor, not a civil war spilling beyond borders. The Cheney/Bushies just want a bigger war.