Eh Ron, I somehow seem to think that disciplinary action within the ranks of Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army should you get a little out of step, would be a tad more drastic and severe than for any member of the Royal Navy who happened to transgress against QRRN. In militia/guerilla/resistance organisations, you tend to do what your told, or pay extremely severe consequences, mainly due to the fact that your very existance depnds on its members obeying orders - or can't you grasp the differences - I think I and most rational people most certainly can.

"I thought that when the U.S. forces invaded Iraq initially, they disbanded the Sunni Army and sent them home with their weapons. Now you say they should have joined the army and the police force from day one." - Dianavan

No dianavan, once again you think wrong. The US did not disband the Iraqi Army. The Iraqi Army as a whole did not stand and fight, those that could took the very prudent course of action of just slipping away. Read the Guardian article linked to by Wolfgang. When the Iraqi Government was recruiting for the Police and the Army, the leaders of Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq prohibitted any Sunni from joining, the Sunni leaders now realise that this, like not engaging in the political process from the start, was an extremely poor and damaging course of action to follow.