International

Sadr's Militia Prepares for Possible U.S. Strikes

By Jamie Tarabay

Published January 9, 2007 at 1:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

The Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is preparing for war in Sadr City, the vast Baghdad slum.

Announcements on Iraqi TV last night said that the cleric will force every man in Sadr City between 15 and 45 to join his militia.

Sadr supporters believe they will be targeted by U.S. and Iraqi government troops after President Bush unveils his new Iraq strategy Wednesday night. The Mahdi Army is rumored to be distributing grenades to every family in Sadr City, a district already brimming with weapons.

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International

Jamie Tarabay

After reporting from Iraq for two years as NPR's Baghdad Bureau Chief, Jamie Tarabay is now embarking on a two year project reporting on America's Muslims. The coverage will take in the country's approx 6 million Muslims, of different ethnic, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and the issues facing their daily lives as Americans.

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