Early this morning, Erdla from GG left me this interesting tidbit on al-Sadr...

Al-Sadr is reportedly going to end the Mahdi Army standdown. According to the report in al-Khaleej linked to above an anonymous “high ranking” GZG security told al-Khaleej that he had received intelligence information that al-Sadr would lift the freeze on Mahdi army activity today and that he expected them to be active starting tomorrow.

The report also quotes al-Sadr’s spokesman in Najaf, Sheikh Salah al-Obaidi, as having told al-Khaleej that al-Sadr would make an important statement about the situation in Basrah and Sadr City in Baghdad, in response to the green zone government’s intensification of its operations against the his followers. He added that he could not say more until after Friday prayers."

So, as I was skimming the headlines today for any news on Iraq, and, looking for specific references to al-Sadr and the message, I ran across this! My jaw dropped... I could not believe my eyes! Is McCain really that deluded...?

Here is a decent translation of al-Sadr's message...

A statement by Moqtada alSadr was read out at a mosque in Sadr City on Friday April 25, explaining the meaning of the "open war until liberation" that he warned of in a statement last Saturday.

"This is in fact the aim of the honorable resistance, which should be our pride and that of all Iraqis--indeed of all Muslims and of all free people throughout the world. And we will not permit the resistance which targets the occupation, without [targeting] Iraqis, to become criminal*, in the way that the destroyer turned pilgrims of the Imam Husayn to crime ...--which god forbid--because jihad is until victory.

You, brothers in the Iraqi army and police, and you, brothers in the Army of the Imam Mahdi: Enough of spilling of [each others'] blood. Concentrate on the infiltrators and the defamed [occupier]. And let us become a single hand for the implementation of justice, and security, and the good, and support for the resistance in all its types, so that Iraq can become a secure and confident Iraq, with respect to its land, with respect to its people, and with respect to its neighbors."

Well, al-Sadr is taking off the gloves and calling off the ceasefire!
Let me refresh your memory on what this entails... This site offers some history and probable outcomes...

Fast forward to August 2007. The surge is in full bloom and Sadr declares a "freeze" on JAM's armed activities. His goals were many: avoid another 2004-style clash with the Americans; rehabilitate JAM's increasingly criminal reputation; and allow coalition forces to purge his ranks of the worst Iranian-backed factions, thereby enhancing his command-and-control. The effects of the freeze were profound. Go back and look at all those MNF-I slides from the September and March Petraeus testimonies. The steepest decline in violence occurred once the JAM ceasefire took hold

Recent events in Iraq have now put this in jeopardy. In the wake of Maliki's ongoing offensive in Basra, the JAM ceasefire has teetered on the brink of total collapse. True, there has been some apparent political benefits. Da'wa, ISCI, the Kurds, and the Suni IIP have all rallied around the Prime Minister against JAM. As Ambassador Crocker recently noted: "The prime minister, the Iraqi government and the broad political leadership, since the Basra and Baghdad events that began last month, have been unified in their view that the time has come for an end to militia presence." Condi Rice went so far as to claim that "we've seen the coalescing of a center" in Iraqi politics. "The Sunni leadership, the Kurdish leadership and elements of the Shia are working together better than at any time."

But the danger in cornering Sadr/JAM is profound. If this is not handled in the right way, the ceasefire may completely shatter. And, if this happens, Iraq is screwed.

This is why we have to watch events in Sadr City very carefully. The fighting has been brutal over the past month, with hundreds of civilians caught in the crossfire. Efforts to restore basic service in the sprawling Shia slum have also lagged, undermining efforts to win over local residents.

Okay, so it's gonna get ugly... Now what did McCain have to say about the turn of events...?

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is happy with the outcome. In a blogger conference call today, he said the results in Basra and southern Iraq were a “pleasant turn of events” in his view. Sadr, McCain says, is now marginalized. The bloggers reported on McCain’s responses:

Hot Air: It’s a “pleasant turn of events.” We’ve been pressing Maliki for action, and he persevered through some setbacks to success. Basra now is under Maliki’s control, and it has united the central government. Sadr is marginalized. “Overall, I’m rather pleased.”

Commentary: He described the outcome as a “pleasant turn of events” and said that Prime Minister Maliki “surprised us all.” McCain conceded that there were setbacks at first, but said that with limited American support the Iraqi army has wrested control of Basra from the Sadrites.

Are you f*cking kidding me, McInsane...? Do you really think it's a pleasant turn of events...? Sometimes, I'm just left mind-numbingly speechless...! sometimes...!