Shiite militants agreed on a ceasefire in Baghdad's embattled neighborhood of Sadr City, an aide to a high level cleric said Saturday, holding out hope that weeks of clashes in the capital could be at an end. In the northern city of Mosul, an Iraqi army commander announced the start of a long anticipated offensive against al-Qaida in Iraq's last urban stronghold. Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, an aide to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the cease-fire will go into effect Sunday. The cease-fire may not necessarily end seven-week-old clashes in Sadr City, the stronghold of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army. The U.S. military has blamed clashes on groups who broke away from the main organization. It remained unclear who will abide by the cease-fire deal. It is not believed that the bulk of the 60,000-string Mahdi Army has participated in the clashes, but mostly just splinter groups that have refused to honor a general cease-fire ordered by al-Sadr last August. Al-Sadr has directed his supporters to only fight when attacked. ...
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