Al Sadr Retreats from Threats

This is good news and thankfully, the Maliki government didn't back down earlier. From Bill Roggio:

Less than one week after threatening to conduct an uprising against the
Iraqi government and US forces, Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army,
has called for his fighters to maintain the self-imposed cease-fire. The US and
Iraqi military continue to strike at Sadr’s Mahdi Army in Baghdad. Ten
“criminals” were killed in strikes in Sadr City, making 82 Mahdi fighters killed
in the six days since Sadr threatened renewed violence.
In a statement read
during the Friday prayers at the Al Hikma mosque in Sadr City, Sadr called for his militia to halt the fighting.
“You have been patiently committed to the freeze decision and magnificently
obeyed your leader,” Sadr statement read, according to Voices of Iraq. “I hope
you retain your patience and faith.”
Sadr also said he did not threaten the
Iraqi government with “open war” last weekend, but was directing his threat
against Coalition forces. “The open war we threaten is meant against the
occupiers,” Sadr said. “There is no war between us and our Iraqi brothers
regardless of their sect or ethnicity.”

The reconciliation continues! Maliki has proved himself a viable leader and given his infant democracy a very real chance. The house of cards that the radicals built in the Middle East is beginning to fall and Iran should be worried about now.

More-Even the MSM is taking note with "Iraqi forces see victory in Basra" from the Times Online.