In an interview with London's Asharq al-Awsat, Saleh al-Obeidi, the spokesman for the Shiite cleric, said Sadr ordered all but special cells to abandon their weapons, relegating the bulk of his support base toward "cultural resistance."

"The remaining part, which we call 'resistance cells' and which are authorized to carry arms, will pursue the duty of military resistance," the spokesman said.

A brochure obtained by The Wall Street Journal Aug. 5 said Sadr would relay a similar message to his supporters during that week's Friday prayers.

Obeidi said Sadrist supporters were concerned that "saboteurs" had infiltrated his Mehdi Army militia in an effort to diminish the political influence of the anti-American cleric.

He noted that many attacks against the U.S. military were carried out by the Mehdi Army, but attacks against Iraqi forces "were sparked by infiltrators."

Sadr ordered a "freeze" in the Mehdi Army in order to counter suggestions his forces were undermining the anti-occupation political agenda, Obeidi said.

Baghdad said earlier this year only formal Iraqi military forces are authorized to carry weapons, adding political parties or movements that maintained their militias would be barred from the political process.