Yep, things are definitely coming to a between Sadr’s Iranian (i.e., Persian) backed Mahdi Militia and the Iraqi (i.e., Arab) Shiite led government of Iraq. Before the latest news on the pressure being brought to bear on Moqtada al-Sadr to end the stand-off peacefully, I want to reference coverage of a recent news show from Iraq to set the local context, which is sorely lacking from the Western Media’s reporting:

Al-Ramahi begins by saying that although “intermittent clashes” continue between the Iraqi security forces assisted by US forces and the supporters of Shi’i leader Muqtada al-Sadr, both sides criticize Iran and “hold it responsible for the incidents in Iraq.” She adds that the current Iraqi Government’s position has changed towards Iran, and that it has begun “to directly accuse Iran of fanning violence in Iraq.” She notes that a huge amount of Iranian weapons has been revealed in addition to documents that indict Iran in this regard. Al-Ramahi says that observers were surprised to hear Salih al-Ubaydi, spokesman for the Al-Sadr Trend, strongly criticize Iran. She notes that the recent criticism coincides with former Iranian President Khatami’s criticism of the Iranian regime, in which he stressed that exporting violence to other countries, which he did not name, is “treason against Islam and the Iranian Revolution.”

…

The programme then presents a three-minute report by Najah Muhammad Ali. Ali says that when the United States accused Iran of interfering in Iraq to undermine its stability, Iran’s supporters in the Iraqi Government, including the president and the prime minister, did not hesitate to defend Iran. However, he says that the situation changed following Operation Charge of the Knights in Basra and the international conference that was held recently in Kuwait. He adds that Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki and his supporters have launched an unprecedented campaign against Iran without naming it. Moreover, he says that the Iraqi Government has been declaring on a daily basis the arrest of fighters supported by Iran and the discovery of Iranian weapons. … Ali notes former Iranian President Khatami’s remarks in which he said that “exporting violence to other countries is treason against Islam and the Islamic Revolution.” He concludes by wondering if the Iraqis in the post- Saddam government “have become fed up with remaining under the Iranian cloak,” or if Iran’s intervention in Iraq has crossed all limits.

Clearly the Iraqis are tired of being in the middle of this conflict. What is interesting is this next section where a pro-Iranian guest on the show makes the lame excuse that Iran had to meddle in Iraq because it was being threatened by America – which ends the debate as to why Iran is working to destabilize Iraq by training and arming killers:

Addressing former Iraqi Minister Salam al-Maliki, Al-Ramahi asks him to comment on the change in the Al-Sadr Trend’s position. Al- Maliki says that the issue of Iran’s intervention in Iraq and its support for the Al-Sadr Trend does not exist in reality. He admits that there are accusations, but argues that the Al-Sadr Trend’s positions in the political process are “independent.”

Interrupting, Al-Ramahi says that Salam al-Maliki’s remarks are surprising, because even Iranians talk about Iran’s intervention in Iraq. Al-Maliki says that there is clear intervention, but that he is talking about the Al-Sadr Trend’s position and Iran’s support for the Al-Sadr Trend. He adds that the Iraqi Government must determine whether the Iranian role is positive or negative. He says that the Iraqi Government’s spokesman said that the government needs to verify the situation, but that military officials have openly accused Iran of intervention. Al-Maliki stresses that problems must not be resolved through the media. He says that the problem is that the Iraqi Government “has not yet drawn its foreign policy in a clear manner.” He argues that the United States encouraged Iran to interfere in Iraq in light of its hostile position towards Iran which prompted it to defend itself and its presence.

Is Iraq buying this excuse? I argue it isn’t because the pressure is not being reduced on Sadr and the Mahdi Militia, but is being escalated by Maliki and a large sector of the Shiite block in Iraq:

A senior Iraqi representative of the Shiite parliamentary bloc says a committee is meeting representatives of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to get his fighters in Sadr City to lay down their arms.

Jalal Eddin al-Sagheer of the United Iraqi Alliance, the largest bloc in parliament which includes Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s party, says the committee will tell al-Sadr that wanted militants must surrender and roadside bombs cleared.

Maliki is not going to negotiate at gunpoint. The path to negotiations is simple – lay down the arms and weapons. The fact Mahdi Militia refuses, and most of their arms are now coming from Iran, tells the truth behind the lies coming out of their mouths about peace and dialogue. Again, only the liberal SurrenderMedia would buy into the idea Maliki should surrender in the face of armed aggression backed by Iran and discuss terms of his surrender with these thugs. Iraq is standing up and telling Iran and Sadr that this ends only one way, when the Mahdi surrenders its arms.