Sadr also leads an Iranian-backed Shi'ite party said to hold the key to
the next government in Baghdad. His party, which increased its
representation in March 7 parliamentary elections, was believed to wield
significant influence in the Iraqi police. Sadr's party won 39 seats in the
325-member parliament.
The Mahdi Army was said to have more than 10,000 fighters. The militia
suspended most operations after the failed offensive in Baghdad and
Basra in 2008.
Sadr's call came amid sustained mass-casualty suicide bombings in
Shi'ite neighborhoods. On April 23, at least 72 people were killed in
suicide strikes that targeted Shi'ite mosques in Baghdad.
The attacks were attributed to Al Qaida. Officials acknowledged that
despite the elimination of the leadership, Al Qaida remains capable
of sustaining nearly daily bombings.
"He [Sadr] wants to integrate the believers — and here I mean Mahdi
Army people — in the security forces through official means," Hazim Al
Araji, a leading Sadr aide, said.
Most of the Iraqi police and security forces were said to consist of
Shi'ites. In contrast, the Iraq Army has sought to represent the minority
Sunni and Kurdish communities.
So far, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has not responded to Sadr's
offer. Officials said Al Maliki continues to regard Sadr as an adversary and
likely ally of challenger Iyad Alawi, whose party won the most seats in
parliamentary elections.
"The government might ask the help of individual citizens rather than
from armed groups," Ali Al Dib, an aide to Al Maliki, said.
