It is the Iraqi people who come best out of the end of the Najaf siege. This has been a triumph for the moderate majority who until yesterday felt themselves powerless to influence the wretched course of events in their own country.
Ayatollah Ali Sistani, frail and unwell, rose from his sick bed to drive home at last the view of ordinary Iraqis that the litany of violence, especially around a holy shrine, could not be allowed to continue. He used his immense personal authority to confront Moqtada Sadr and persuade him to end the confrontation, disarm his followers and quit the Imam Ali Mosque.
As part of the deal the US also withdraws its forces, Sadr and his Mehdi Army will not be arrested and the government will pay compensation to citizens of Najaf whose homes and businesses were devastated in the three weeks of fighting. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s interim administration has endorsed the deal, though some of his ministers are dismayed that the turbulent cleric has escaped detention, not simply for his role in the uprising but to answer the charge that he murdered a moderate Shiite leader, Abdul Majid Al-Khoei, in April 2003.
Sistani himself has no reason to like Sadr. Not only was Khoei a close aide but a week after his murder, a mob of the Sadr supporters surrounded Sistani’s own home in Najaf baying for his blood. They were only dispersed when tribal leaders intervened. Nor is this the first time that Sistani has extracted a promise of good behavior from Sadr. In June, a smaller Mehdi Army rebellion in Najaf was also ended when Sistani stepped in.
It is now imperative that Sadr be convinced he must join the political process. He must understand that his violent actions to force the coalition forces to leave Iraq are actually counterproductive. Until the Iraqi police and army are able to ensure security by themselves, the government has no option but to turn to the now UN-mandated coalition contingents for support.
There remain, however, worrying events from the closing hours of the Najaf siege. Who was it that fired mortar rounds into the Kufa mosque killing 25 worshipers? Who was it that opened fire on a crowd, murdering 15 and injuring 65 on Thursday as they marched toward Najaf? Some of the crowd alleged it was Iraqi policemen. The government must investigate this claim as a matter of urgency.
Nevertheless, yesterday was a victory for common sense even though it was bought at the price of a substantial and utterly needless loss of life. Sadr hoped that by exposing his lightly armed insurgents to the remorseless and heavily armored power of US forces, he could ignite fury among Iraqis who would flock to his aid and bring humiliation to the hated foreign troops. It did not happen. Instead from ordinary Iraqis his deadly antics elicited mostly anger. The fact is, however, that thousands of poor from the most depressed parts of Iraqi society were prepared to lay down their lives for Sadr. If the authorities wish to tame him, they must address the grievances of these people as a matter of urgency.
