Green Zone Comes Under Fresh Attacks

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Green Zone Comes Under Fresh Attacks
March 31, 2008
Associated Press

BAGHDAD - The fortified Green Zone came under fresh attack Monday, less than 24 hours after anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told his fighters to stand down following a week of clashes with government forces.

Al-Sadr's order stopped short of disarming his fighters and left the militia intact in a blow to the credibility of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who flew to the southern oil city of Basra a week ago to personally oversee a crackdown on militia violence.

The Shiite leader promised "a decisive and final battle" but made little headway. A key adviser to al-Maliki said the operations against al-Sadr's followers would end within days.

"Before the end of this week, the operations will come to an end and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will be back to Baghdad," the adviser, Sami al-Askari, said.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said, however, that "operations will not end until Basra reaches a secure and acceptable situation enabling Iraqi citizens to live normal and secure lives."


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/033108/green-zone-...