In Baghdad, Uncle Sam attacks the Sadrist Mehdi Army

As we predicted yesterday, a spate of recent bombings, kidnappings, and attacks throughout Iraq strongly indicated that tensions had risen to a boiling point between Iraqis loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr and Uncle Sam and its collaborator forces.

On Friday, Middle East Online confirmed our expectations:

At least nine people were killed in gunbattles Friday between Shiite militiamen and US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad's Shiite district of Sadr City, security and medical sources said.

The fighting, which lasted for four hours and left at least 30 people wounded, pitted the Mehdi Army of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr against US-led forces, sources in the defense and interior ministries said.

US forces detained a Shiite imam living in Sadr City, Adnan al-Oneibi, according to Sahib al-Amiri, an official in Sadr's movement.

From this account, it seems clear that Uncle Sam's objective was the abduction of political and religious figures opposed to Uncle Sam's occupation of Iraq. The article continues:

A defense ministry official said the US-led operation began at 2:00 am (2200 GMT Thursday) in the sprawling Shiite stronghold which has a population of about two million.

The joint force pulled out by 6:00 am (0200 GMT).

"The situation is tense and the Mehdi Army is deploying in the streets," said the official.

If the Mehdi army decides to commit itself fully to the armed Resistance, Uncle Sam's days in Iraq could be limited far more than anyone on the Plantation imagines.