I did a quick search and it seems like this hasn't been diaried yet, so...
According to McClatchy, Al Sadr's order to his followers to stop fighting today was the result of a secret meeting with Al Sadr reps, brokered by an Iranian Brigadier General.
The backdrop to Sadr's dramatic statement was a secret trip Friday to Qom, Iran's holy city and headquarters of the dominant Iranian clergy, by Iraqi lawmakers.
There they held talks with Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) brigades of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and signed an agreement with Sadr, which formed the basis of his statement Sunday, members of parliament said.
Now the article goes on to state that another goal of the meeting was to secure an agreement from the Iranians that they would stop arming certain Shiite militias, but what does it say about our current level of influence in Iraq that the Maliki parliament is now engaging in direct negotiations with Iran that could decide the future of the country? And how does that play against the backdrop of frequent accusations and bluster towards Iran from the Bush administration?
As many diarists here have pointed out, Maliki's government has been pretty kushy with Iran from the beginning. I can't see how Bush can continue to prop up Maliki as "our man" while his government continues to engage in the very direct talks that he said would denigrate our government were they to do so.
Between this and the still ongoing fight in Basra, the irony of our rhetoric has grown so overwhelming that sooner or later the mainstream American press has to start calling him on this stuff. And if they don't, it's our responsibility to call on them to do so.
P.S. I should mention this story is also referenced on TPM right now.