A common narrative about the war in Iraq is that fighting against the enemy in urban environments creates more insurgents, thus it is fruitless to even try. But today’s Los Angeles Times finally asked Iraqis in Sadr City what they think about the recent fighting and how it impacts their views of the Mahdi Army. The answer: The Mahdi Army has lost significant support from not only residents caught in the crossfire, but from Mahdi Army fighters themselves. In fact, some Mahdi Army fighters were so discouraged by the recent fighting that they vowed to never join the ranks again. “I had faith. I believed in something,” a former Mahdi Army fighter told the LA Times. “Now, I will never fight with them.” “People are fed up with them [the Mahdi Army] because of their extremism and the problems they are causing,” a merchant in central Baghdad said. The situation was so bad that the Sadrist movement was forced to sue for a cease-fire.