Sadr threatens 'open war'

BAGHDAD, April 20 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's spokesman Sunday called on Iraq's political parties to unite against militias, including those led by Moqtada Sadr.

"Iraq cannot be the new Somalia," warned spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh. "It is a clear message ... we cannot accept the presence of armed groups."

CNN reported that Dabbagh's comments came after Sadr's radical Shiite group issued an ultimatum demanding Maliki's government immediately end attacks on Shiite militias or "all options are open to us."

Sadr described his statement as a "final warning," The Washington Post reported.

Last summer, as the U.S. military began its troop surge in Iraq, Sadr declared a cease-fire that is believed to have been responsible for much of the drop in violence. Thousands of people died in two earlier uprisings by the cleric's militia, known as the Mehdi Army.

After the government began its attempt to disarm the Mehdi Army last month in Basra, Sadr urged his supporters to refrain from violence. He suggested that Maliki wanted to weaken the Sadrists before the election.