Pentagon: Militia more dangerous than al Qaeda in Iraq
POSTED: 8:59 a.m. EST, December 19, 2006


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army has replaced al Qaeda in Iraq as "the most dangerous accelerant" of the sectarian violence plaguing Iraq for nearly a year, according to a Pentagon report.

Attacks by Iraqi insurgents and sectarian militias jumped 22 percent from mid-August to mid-November, and Iraqi civilians suffered the bulk of casualties, according to the quarterly report released on Monday.

The average number of attacks reported each week jumped during that period from nearly 800 to almost 1,000, the report said. (Watch how insurgent and sectarian attacks have become a staple of Iraqi civilian life Video)

The two most prominent militias -- the Mehdi Army and the Badr Organization -- are armed wings of Shiite political parties whose support is crucial to the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The Mehdi Army in particular "exerts significant influence in Baghdad and the southern provinces of Iraq and on the government of Iraq," and fights periodic battles with Badr supporters, according to the report. The Badr Organization is affiliated with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

The Pentagon report comes as Robert Gates takes over as defense secretary to replace Donald Rumsfeld, and as President Bush ponders major changes in the nearly 4-year-old war. (Full story)

The number of attacks recorded in September and October were the highest on record, the report found, but it provided no specific figures.

Nearly 70 percent of attacks targeted U.S. and allied troops, "but the overwhelming majority of casualties were suffered by Iraqis," the report concluded.

Bombings, shootings and execution-style sectarian killings have killed thousands of Iraqis in the past three months. Much of the reported increase in violence was blamed on a "seasonal spike" accompanying the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, U.S. commanders reported.
Militias influence Iraqi police

Though the Pentagon said the violence is damaging Iraq's government and society, it discounted the U.S. debate over whether the country has descended into civil war.

"The situation in Iraq is far more complex than the term 'civil war' implies," it said. "Attempts to define the several and diverse sources of violence as civil war are not helpful to Iraqi efforts to arrive at political accommodations.

"However, conditions that could lead to civil war do exist, especially in and around Baghdad, and concern regarding civil war runs high among the Iraqi populace."

But, "The Iraqi institutions of the center are holding, and members of the current government have not openly abandoned the political process."

Though the joint U.S.-Iraqi operation dubbed "Operation Together Forward" led to a "significant reduction of death squad activity" in early phases, sectarian killings picked up in other areas, the report found.

The report found that sectarian militias continue to influence the Iraqi police in Baghdad and other cities, but did not quantify the extent of that infiltration.

Sometimes Iraqi police "facilitated freedom of movement and provided advance warning of upcoming operations," the report said.

"This is a major reason for the increased levels of murders and executions," the report found.

Iraq's Interior Ministry, which oversees the national police force, has so far been unable to root out corruption and sectarian influence.

"Although the primary concern of the Government of Iraq remains the Sunni insurgency, the inappropriate tolerance of and influence exerted by Shia militia members within the MOI [Ministry of Interior] is also of concern," the report said.
Gunmen rob industry ministry payroll

About 20 armed men arriving in four vehicles stole nearly a million dollars worth of Iraqi dinar Tuesday morning during a robbery of industry ministry workers, according to an official with Iraq's interior ministry.

The holdup occurred outside a central Baghdad bank in Karrada district shortly after the money -- about 1.2 billion Iraqi dinars, or $850,000 -- had been withdrawn to pay industry ministry workers, the official said.

Some of the robbers were dressed in camouflage uniforms similar to Iraqi Security Forces' uniforms, he said.

Just over a week ago in Baghdad, gunmen disguised as Iraqi soldiers stopped a bank truck carrying $1 million, stole it and kidnapped its four guards, according to The Associated Press.
Marine, two insurgents killed

A Marine and two insurgents have died during fighting in Anbar province, authorities said Tuesday.

The Marine died Monday and was assigned to 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable, the military said.

The death brings to 2,950 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died since the war in Iraq began. Sixty-one have died so far this month.
Other developments

Coalition forces in Falluja shot dead the two insurgents on Tuesday when they attacked the northwest Iraqi police gate of the government center, the military said. Another insurgent was wounded, and a fourth escaped.

# Prosecutors in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial on Tuesday showed graphic video footage of dead civilians allegedly killed in chemical attacks on their villages, Reuters reported. Also produced was a memo praising a Dutch businessman for supplying banned chemical weapons used in the attacks that prosecutors allege killed more than 180,000 Kurds, Reuters reported.

# Estonian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a one-year extension of the country's 40-troop military deployment in Iraq, according to AP. The approval came a month after President Bush visited the small Baltic nation, praising it for contributing troops.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad contributed to this report.