Even Sadr wants his split force

ARTICLE: Iraqi Troops Mass for Assault in South, By ANDREW E. KRAMER, New York Times, June 15, 2008

To wit:

In a statement read by aides during Friday prayers, Mr. Sadir said the movement would be divided into two branches. One group will remain armed and operate as an underground force, continuing to oppose the presence of American troops. The other branch would concentrate on politics and providing social services to Iraqis.

(Thanks: Lucien Gauthier)

Comments

[Ted O'Connor]

This is similar to the IRA operation in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles" 1970's through 2001. IRA operating as terrorist organization and Sinn Fein operating openly as a "Political Wing" charged with holding press conferences and "explaining" IRA motives and responding to critics. The irony here is that any type of public realtions branch of a terrorist organization can only exist in a civilized society with rule of law. If Sadam Hussein were still running things in Iraq, I don't think Mr. Sadir's spokesperson would have a lot of job security. Also there needs to be a free press in the mix or nobody is going to carry the terrorist's story. So Mr. Sadir is counting on some stability in Iraq and the availabilty of cooperative newspeople.

[Chris Porter]

Reading Michael Massing's "Embedded in Iraq" (NYRB) he mentioned this split that Sadr wanted, and my notation says, "he's listening to TPMB."