Baghdad Update

The interesting tidbit from this story follows.

Earlier Thursday, a radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to end clashes with Shiite rivals, one day after his office in the holy city of Najaf was burned and four of his supporters were killed.

The internal Shiite conflict occurred amid a struggle by Shiite and Kurdish leaders to convince the Sunni Arabs to accept the draft constitution.

In calling for calm, al-Sadr urged "all believers to spare the blood of the Muslims and to return to their homes."

"I will not forget this attack on the office ... but Iraq is passing through a critical and difficult period that requires unity," he told reporters in his home in Najaf.

He demanded that Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the rival Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, condemn "what his followers have done."

"I urge the believers not to attack innocent civilians and not to fall for American plots that aim to divide us," al-Sadr said. "We are passing through a critical period and a political process."

This is a bittersweet tidbit to post. On the one hand, al Sadr's onboard with the political process, and urging his followers to participate. On the other hand, he either believes that there's some sort of American conspiracy against Shi'is, or he's using that belief in his followers to stir up anti-American sentiment.

Bottom line? al Sadr's statements aren't good, but they could be worse.