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There's a New Sheriff in Basra
An article by Nibras Kazimi, Visiting Scholar at the Hudson Institute .... The United Alliance List delegation ... evidently made al-Sadr an offer he couldnt refuse when they sat down for a friendly chat in Tehran two days ago: the Iraqi state was willing to go all the way in smashing the Sadrist movement arresting all the leaders and shutting down all the offices if he didnt play along with Operation Cavalry Charge and hand over those operatives whose names appear on the wanted lists. See, Maliki went to Basra with a long-ish list of names comprising all those involved in oil smuggling, drug dealing and the various other crimes that have wracked Basra. It just so happens that many of them claim to be Mahdi Army commanders. The Mahdi Army in Basra is only an army in the sense that soldiers and cappos are rankings in the Cosa Nostra. .... Maliki made the calculation that he can take on these cartels and withstand the wrath of the other affiliated Mafiosi familias that got unleashed in other parts of Iraq. The criminal syndicate knows that once Operation Cavalry Charge squashes their sweet set-up in Basra, then other pockets of criminality are going to be next, so thats why they are going to the mattresses. Well, so far several dozen of these Most Wanted folks have been killed, while tens of others are wounded or in hiding. At least 50 of them are under arrest. The outbreak of violence in places other than Basra was an occasion for the Iraqi Army and police to act on arrest warrants that have been outstanding since 2004, for example, several such dangerous outlaws were taken into custody in Karbala and Hillah. ..... .... today he [Maliki] is perceived as a statesman commanding a strong and motivated army that can impose law and order on once-powerful forces that have run amuck. If thats not a benchmark of success, then what is? .... Operation Cavalry Charge was a reality warp for all those whove internalized the rhetoric that Iraq is a failed state. Instead of being dismissed as a Green Zone politician, Maliki took his war cabinet to Basra and went all Untouchables on the Al Capones of Iraqs oil-rich south; plenty of journalists and experts simply could not grasp these dramatic changes to the political topography of Iraq. Maliki won, pure and simple. The western media invented the narrative that Maliki was at war with the Sadrist movement, even though no such declaration was ever made. .... Malikis approach is piece-meal: hes taken out the intimidation factor that kept much of the Sadrist sway in place and hes done that by showing them that they are no armed match for a better-disciplined, better-supplied Iraqi Army with plenty of stamina. The Sadrists are left with some political gains that theyve accrued from joining the political process, such as government posts and lucrative contracts that theyd be loathe to part with and thats their collateral for good behavior from now on. .... Now the Sadrist will have to sway voters their way with words and entreaties, rather than threats and drills. Most of the crime cartels are also on notice that the days of the Wild, Wild South are over and theres a new sheriff in town. .... Maliki has promised to keep arresting the names on his list, and he has demonstrated that hes a man who means what he says. .... The regular folks Ive been speaking to are so admiring of Maliki. The political elite in Baghdad is freaked out by Malikis newfound stature and they must all go back to the drawing boards to recalculate this new dynamic in the political equation. ..... Today, Basra is calm and Iraqs national army is in charge, not the Mahdis. Well done, Mr. Maliki. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2008-04-02 |
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