Cleric al-Sadr gains political ground among Iraqis

From Kansas City Star

NAJAF, Iraq - After months of losing hundreds, if not thousands, of men in battles with the U.S. military, firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appears to be more popular than ever in Iraq.

Could this have anything to do with it?

You won’t believe this !

Today, our neighbors came back from their shop in a neighborhood called ( Jameela) north of Baghdad, this place is well-known in Baghdad as a big commercial center for different types of goods, it’s full of wholesale shops and many people from all around Iraq go there to purchase at discounted prices..

Jameela is also famous in it’s thieves ! Yes ..especially in the last few months.. All the merchants, storekeepers and the ordinary people are afraid when they reach there..they were always complaining from this situation and the weakness of the IP at that place, the thieves are well-known, but the people can’t do anything against them cause anything happens to a thieve, his ‘friends’ might kill the man who harmed him..so it was really a problem and that place is so scary..

Our neighbor, L, said that Al-Mahdi militia rushed suddenly into the main street of Jameela, got out of their ‘Pick-Up’ cars, carrying their guns and rifles.. And running here and there following the thieves there and arresting them one after another!! and beat them ruthlessly ..threw them in their cars and went to the ‘Husseinia’ ( Shia Mosque’s name) and imprisoned them there.

The people in Jameela were astonished... they got very happy.. ‘ we spent a very nice and calm day’ L says!
‘ the people were very happy and felt that Muqtada’s group helped Iraqis for the first time’ he added!
It’s obviously that Muqtada heard what are the people opinions about him and his thieves ! So he decided to prove that he’s a good guy and his men are so brave and work to help the Iraqi people..he realized that no one loves him.. So he is trying to get the Iraqis’ trust..

L said: ‘ Many people there said that if Muqtada’s men continued to protect us and work for the people, keeping the place safe and secure, stop their silly attacks against the Americans and against the people, they will love them and help them in their great task’..

"Silly attacks"? More like deadly. "Great Task"? Interesting phrase.
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