"The violent Shia militia known as the Mahdi Army is breaking into splinter groups, with up to 3,000 gunmen financed directly by Iran and no longer loyal to the firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, according to Iraqi and American officials."

Do you believe this? Who provided the intel? How was it obtained?

Is it possible the U.S. is being tricked? Why not let the U.S. believe that some of the Mahdi Army is no longer loyal to al-Sadr?

How many Mahdi Army remain in Iraq? Will those being financed by Iran remain in Iraq or have they gone to Iran for training, only to return better equipped?

If the Mahdi army remaining in Iraq are loyal to al-Sadr and the Iraqi govt., whats wrong with that? It would mean that al-Sadr and Iran have a difference of opinion; or do they?

This 'news' leaves too many unanswered questions.

But heh, the Bushites think they have reason to rejoice. The Mahdi army is splintering, the Mahdi army is splintering. Hooray!

If this news is true, we now have four groups that want the U.S. out: Two groups of Shias, the Sunnis and al-Qaeda. This is a reason to rejoice? I doubt it.