Japanese version
Mahdi Army
alternative words: Jaish-i-Mahdi, Al-Mahdi, Jaish al-Mahdi keywords: organization related topics: Muqtada al-Sadr , Najaf related web sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Mahdi_Army , http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3604393.stm explanation: Initially charitable organization which had distributed foods to poor Shia residents of Sadre city in Northern Baghdad, it grew to a paramilitary organization and took the military control of not only Sadre city but also some Shia towns such as Najaf by taking advantage of a political vacuum left after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Its members count no more than 10,000 but very active under the direction of a charismatic leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Mahdi means "Messiah". | |