Sadr Delivers an Ultimatum to U.S.

Moqtada al-Sadr is back, issuing an ultimatum to American troops and contractors: Leave Iraq by the end of the year or he will revive his Mehdi Army and relaunch attacks on the United States’ post-withdrawal presence in the country. —JCL

Al-Jazeera English:

Moqtada al Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shia cleric, has threatened to revive his Mehdi Army and relaunch armed resistance against continued US presence in the country.

The threat came as tens of thousands of people marched across the capital Baghdad, marking the eighth anniversary of former leader Saddam Hussein’s fall on Saturday.

A spokesperson of al Sadr, said the US had until the end of the year to meet the cleric’s demands.

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AP / Karim Kadim

Moqtada al-Sadr’s supporters rally in Sadr City in suburban Baghdad in 2008, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.