What's at stake in Basra

The Iraqi offensive against Shiite militia fighters came as a surprise, said the New York Post, but the fact that it was planned and executed by Iraqis "speaks volumes" about the progress from the U.S. surge. Helping Maliki crush his Shiite riva

What happened

American forces battled Mahdi Army militiamen in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City on Thursday, as the U.S. was drawn more deeply into a broad offensive that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, launched this week in the southern city of Basra. (The Washington Post, free registration)

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us