From
AP via The Guardian:
Muqtada al-Sadr, was speaking during the Friday prayers sermon in Kufa, another Shiite Muslim holy city few miles from Najaf. The area is mostly controlled by his Al-Mahdi Army militia, whose members have clashed with U.S. troops several times since their uprising began on April 4.
``Some of the Mujahideen brothers have told me they want to carry out martyrdom attacks but I am postponing this,'' al-Sadr said in front of thousands of worshippers. ``When we are forced to do so and when our city and holy sites are attacked, we will all be timebombs in the face of the enemy.''
He condemned suicide bombings Wednesday in the southern city of Basra that killed 73 people because they targeted Iraqi police and civilians.
I think this is the first time he has openly called for such attacks. Is this a change of strategy? Is it a bargaining chip in the "negotiations" with the CAP? Is the worst fighting and bloodshed yet to come?