Iraqis Unite Against Al-Sadr

Kurdish, Sunni and even Shiite political figures in Iraq are uniting against Muqtada al-Sadr. They have called on al-Sadr to disband the Mahdi Army or be banned from competing in elections. The Sadrists currently have 30 seats in the Iraqi Parliament. I see this as a very, very good sign. It means the Iraqi Army is gaining legitimacy amongst all three groups in Iraq and that Iraq cannot be a viable state with the presence of more than one army. The fact the Shiites are uniting with the Kurds and Sunnis also demonstrates that al-Sadr is losing face amongst his fellow Shiites. It doesn't help matters he is secure in Iran while his forces are getting pummeled by the Iraqi Army. Make no mistake this won't be easy. But if the Madhi Army is disbanded and the Sadrists chose to redress their grievances in a non-violent manner this will be very big and in years to come will be viewed as a major step in achieving democratic stability.