Violent Clashes in Iraq the Week

The overall level of violence in Iraq has been down the last few months. However, this week, new violence has emerged both in Baghdad and especially in the southern city of Basra where there have been clashes between the Iraqi security forces and militas that are loyal to a Shiite religious leader named Moqtada al-Sadr.

Sadr's forces have been observing a cease-fire for the past 7 months, but there are fears that the cease-fire may be coming apart. The militias feel they are being unfairly targeted by the Iraqi government headed by Nouri al-Maliki, who has giving the militias until the end of the week to lay down their arms. There is coverage all over the news, but a good place to start might be with the BBC, "Milita Battles Threaten Fragile Iraq", and thy have links to background reports as well to help you understand what is going on.

The Christian Science Monitor's coverage also helps you understand what is going on between the rival factions in Iraq: Basra fight widens rift among Shiite factions