Medhi Army retooling, commander says

NASIRIYAH, Iraq, July 2 (UPI) -- An elite unit of the Mehdi Army, the force loyal to Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, will organize to oppose the U.S. "occupiers," a rebel leader said.

In an interview with United Arab Emirates newspaper The National, commander of the Mehdi Army in the southern city of Nasiriyah Aaos al-Khafagy said the elite unit will employ several highly trained guerrilla fighters throughout the country.

"We are still in the process of deciding the exact framework and the final decisions are up to Moqtada Sadr," he said. "The groups will work in every Iraqi city and we expect to need thousands, not hundreds, of fighters to do that."

Sadr issued a statement in June announcing his decision to form a special unit of loyal fighters to oppose the U.S. military presence in Iraq. The announcement corresponded with various statements from the Shiite cleric calling on his militia to lay down their weapons ahead of Iraqi military offenses targeting Shiite militias in southern Iraq.

Khafagy said Sadr himself would personally select fighters for the elite unit from the ranks of the Mehdi Army. Various intelligence reports suggest the Mehdi Army receives special training from Iranian special forces or Lebanese Hezbollah.

The commander also suggested, however, that the opposition movement was not limited to military retaliation, adding the group will only retain public support if it remains involved in the political process as well.

"Without losing sight of our goals, we must make sure that our reputation is clean and that we are known to be of good morals," he said. "The resistance must be something that all Iraqis can support with pride."