Iraqi militant tires of war, returns to religion

Feeling victorious, fragile
Fighting ended May 11 with a cease-fire that left Iraqi troops in control of Sadr City. Many al-Sadr fighters felt betrayed by the truce. Abu Ali and other commanders fled to Iran.

Speaking by telephone last June from Iran's holy city of Qom, Abu Ali broke down in tears as he talked of how much he missed his friends and his men.

"My life here is difficult," he said at the time.

Abu Ali returned to Sadr City from Iran this month but found himself on the government's wanted list. His brother said Iraqi troops had stormed the family home twice since June looking for him.

Nowadays, he hides out at the home of an old friend, sleeping on the floor of his living room with his clothes stuffed in a plastic bag. He keeps a pistol tucked in the back of his trousers.

His wife and children are staying with relatives. He has no money to rent a home for them.

"I will have to make do with very little in Najaf, but that's OK," Abu Ali, who appears to have gained weight in Iran, said last week at the friend's house. "But I must find a way to provide for my family."

He is hoping to evade authorities in Najaf, where a turban and clerical robes could conceal his identity. He says the authorities have his name but do not know what he looks like.

Still, Abu Ali refuses to acknowledge the militia's defeat in Sadr City. No army, he said, can prevail over opponents who risk their lives out of loyalty and for their faith.

"I feel 100 percent victorious," he said. "These (Iraqi) soldiers you see on Sadr City streets will beat a fast retreat if al-Sadr orders us to fight them," he boasted. "They will desert if they miss a single paycheck. Their victory is fragile."

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