Multinational Forces Iraq has dramatically changed it’s messaging concerning the Mahdi Army and attacks in Baghdad. While MNF-I continues to refer to the Shia militias as “criminals” or Special Groups in their press releases, there are no longer any calls for the Mahdi Army to obey Muqtada al Sadr’s cease-fire order.This is occurring as the Iraqi government and MNF-I are pressing the fight against the Mahdi Army in Baghdad, Basra, and elsewhere in the South. In the past, MNF-I press releases would refer to Sadr with the honorific “al-Sayyid” and appeal to the Mahdi Army to adhere to the ceasefire. Here is an example of a typical press release from late December 2007, which leaves an opening for Sadr and his Mahdi Army to end the violence:

Now, MNF-I is explicitly stating the goal is to “capture or kill these criminals” while dropping any pretenses about the neutrality of the Mahdi Army. Here is an example from a press release today: