Iraqi radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has extended for another six months a cease-fire between his Mahdi army militia and U.S. and Iraqi forces. Â
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Clerics loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr announced the extended truce between his Mahdi army militia and U.S. and Iraqi forces during Friday prayers.Â
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Iraqi government and U.S. military officials immediately welcomed the move, saying the initial six-month truce helped to sharply reduce attacks on Iraqi and U.S. troops, as well as diminish sectarian violence in Iraq.Â
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In a press release Friday the Multi-National Force in Iraq said the extension would foster national reconciliation and allow coalition and Iraqi security forces to focus on combating al-Qaida terrorists.Â
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The press release said those who continue to honor al-Sadr’s pledge would be treated with respect and restraint, but warned security forces would continue to crack down on criminals who violate the law and dishonor the cease-fire.Â
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On Thursday hundreds of Mahdi militiamen marched through the al-Sadr controlled neighborhood of Baghdad known as Sadr City. The parade marked the fourth anniversary of the Shi’ite uprising against U.S.-led security and honored those militiamen killed by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.Â
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Al-Sadr spokesman Sheik Jamal al-Sudani addressed the rally. And despite the defiant tone of the marchers, he made it clear they would not renew fighting.Â
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“We have to think of another way to martyrdom, this time not by attack or assassination but by a doctrinal stand,” he said. “We have to break the thorn of enemies by our millions of prayers in yards and mosques.”Â
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Even though the cease-fire has contributed to a sharp decline in attacks across Iraq, there has been a debate among al-Sadr supporters on whether the cease-fire should be extended. Many of them say U.S. and Iraqi troops have used the truce to arrest al-Sadr supporters in southern Iraq, where Shi’ite militias are competing for influence.Â
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Al-Sadr’s militia is one of the most powerful in Iraq and a call for renewed fighting could jeopardize recent improvements in security.Â
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VOA News, Irbil, Iraq