IRAQ Iranians aid rebels' re-arming

Iraqi police have a soft stance toward the militia.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
NAJAF, Iraq -- Hundreds of militiamen loyal to rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are re-arming in their sanctuary in the Shiite holy city of Najaf in possible preparation for a new offensive, say U.S. and Iraqi officials here.
As many as 80 Iranian agents are working with an estimated 500 al-Sadr militiamen, known as the al-Mahdi Army, providing training and nine 57-mm Russian anti-aircraft guns to add to stocks of mortars, anti-tank weapons and other armaments, according to Iraqi and U.S. intelligence reports.
"They are preparing for something, gathering weapons; people are coming in buses from other parts of Iraq," said Michael al-Zurufi, the Iraqi security adviser of Najaf Province. "The most important are the Iranians. The Iranian people are trying to reorganize al-Sadr's militia so they can fight again."
Fear tactics
At the same time, heavily armed al-Sadr militiamen are waging fear tactics, kidnapping local Iraqi police and family members, occupying buildings and arresting Iraqis deemed critical of al-Sadr or in violation of Islamic law, residents and officials say.
Signs that the al-Sadr militia is regrouping after heavy losses in April and May come even as Iraqi leaders are attempting to nudge the firebrand cleric into the political arena. Uncertainty remains over whether the militia activity is unified and sanctioned by al-Sadr or primarily the work of factions of his lieutenants, the officials say. Both Iraqi and U.S. officials are concerned about signs of significant Iranian influence with al-Sadr's forces.
"Sadr's the wild card," said Maj. Rick Heyward, operations officer for the 25th Infantry Division's I-14 battalion in Najaf.
Planning for attacks
In response, U.S. and Iraqi commanders are fine-tuning contingency plans for possible attacks in the city, while bolstering newly recruited Iraqi police and national guard units with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.
"Last week we bought $6,000 worth of heavy machine guns, RPG-7 rounds, AK-47s and ammunition," Najaf Province Gov. Adnan al-Zurufi said Wednesday. "We feel that this will help eliminate the threat."
Still, the governor and other Najaf officials readily admit they seek to avoid a confrontation with the al-Sadr militia now if possible.
"We need to build ourselves, our police, our prisons," said Zurufi, who had only 10 police on duty when he took office in Najaf on May 5. "We have nothing here in Najaf now," he said as the lights flicker on and off in his downtown office, heavily guarded by Iraqi and U.S. forces.
After Iraqi forces fled or joined al-Sadr's militia during the April uprising, Zurufi's administration had to rebuild them from scratch. Today, the province has 2,500 police, 800 Iraqi National Guard [ING] troops, and thousands of Iraqi guards. Still, many are poorly trained. "The police have a weak spirit, but they do their duty," admitted Col. Amer Hamza, chief of staff of Iraqi police in Najaf.
Stretched thin
Meanwhile, even their basic roles remain undefined. ING commander Akyl Khalil Bruhan complains that 500 of his 800 men are dispersed at different checkpoints, leaving only 300 as an active fighting force. "There are so many checkpoints, we don't have enough forces to control the area," he said.
Confusion over security roles led to a friendly fire incident in Najaf earlier this week, when an ING patrol reported 80 al-Sadr militia had taken over a local hospital. ING and police surrounded the building and exchanged fire with forces at the hospital, only to learn that they were from Iraq's Facilities Protection Service.
Meanwhile, al-Sadr militia pressure local forces in Najaf as well as the nearby Shiite cities of Karbala, Hilla, and Diwaniya.
"They are still trying to muscle the local security forces and set up illegal checkpoints," said Capt. Sean Stinchon, intelligence officer for the 1-14 battalion.
Shortfalls in Najaf's fledgling forces are one reason Zurufi has taken a conciliatory stance toward aggressive moves by the militia.
An example
For example, about 60 al-Sadr militiamen moved back into their office at an old movie theater in Diwaniya this week, painting it with graffiti saying "Death to the occupiers" and "the new Iraqi government is a puppet." Local officials gave them a deadline of midnight Tuesday to leave, but did nothing when the militia continued to visit the building.
Two weeks ago, after the militia captured about 10 Iraqi police following a hours-long firefight at the police station near the Imam Ali shrine, Zurufi negotiated a prisoner swap.
U.S. commanders view such appeasement as setting a dangerous precedent -- not only for Najaf but for all Iraq. Yet they have few options other than to follow the lead of their Iraqi counterparts.
"The night the governor decided to exchange the prisoners was a hard night for the American soldier," said Col. Richard Longo, the 1st Infantry Division commander who oversees U.S. forces in the region.
Only two weeks ago, U.S. soldiers were seeking to kill or capture al-Sadr, who faced an arrest warrant issued by an Iraqi court for murder. "The government has to decide what they're going to do with Sadr and his group now," said Longo.
For his part, Zurufi makes it clear he has no intention of arresting al-Sadr now, preferring to delay action until after Iraqis elect a government. "I haven't received any order from Baghdad about arresting him, and I think it's a bad idea," Zurufi said. "Muqtada is a very simple person. He's not a leader who can control a million people, but we are making him a big shot."
As for al-Sadr's militia, U.S. commanders believe it is using its sanctuary in Najaf either to project power outward to Baghdad's Sadr City and other Shiite centers around the country, or to regroup and wait for a call to arms.
"We know what they are doing in there [the exclusion zone], but we can't do anything about it," said Longo. "They are trying to draw the Iraqi security forces into a fight."