By Tim Cocks and Mariam Karouny
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadrextended his Mehdi Army militia ceasefire by around six monthson Friday, according to a statement read out on his behalf in amosque in Baghdad.
The move is likely to be widely welcomed by U.S. and Iraqiofficials, who say the initial six-month truce helped tosharply reduce attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops as well astit-for-tat sectarian violence in Iraq.
Hazim al-Araji, a senior leader in Sadr's movement, readout the decision at Kadhimiya mosque in northern Baghdad, aReuters witness said.
Sadr's decision had been sent in sealed envelopes to imamsof mosques affiliated with the cleric. The imams had beenordered to read the decision at midday Muslim prayers.
Many Mehdi Army members and Sadrist political leaders hadwanted the truce scrapped, saying it was being exploited byIraqi and U.S. forces to arrest Sadrists, especially insouthern Iraq, where rival Shi'ite factions are vying fordominance.
The U.S. military blamed the Mehdi Army for fuelling acycle of sectarian violence with Iraq's Sunni Arab minority in2006 and 2007 and at one time called the militia the greatestsingle threat to peace in the country.
Sadr called the ceasefire after deadly clashes in lateAugust between his militia, Iraqi forces and the SupremeIslamic Iraqi Council, a rival Shi'ite faction, in the city ofKerbala.
Analysts say he decided on the initial truce to bring intoline elements in the militia, some of whom had become involvedin gangsterism and organised crime.
U.S. commanders say violence in Iraq has dropped 60 percentsince June 2007, owing to Sadr's ceasefire, 30,000 extra U.S.soldiers and many Sunni Arab leaders turning against al Qaeda.
Sadr's decision could prove vital in determining whetherthe security gains can be maintained, thus allowing the U.S.military to continue withdrawing soldiers beyond the more than20,000 that are scheduled to be leave by July. There arecurrently around 155,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday he hopedto pull more troops out of Iraq after a brief pause inwithdrawals in July or August to give the military time toassess the likely impact of lower force levels.
"My hope is that we will be able to further draw down ourtroops in Iraq over the course of the next 10 to 12 months," hesaid, speaking in a plane on the way to a meeting in Australia.
The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, hasrecommended a pause in withdrawals once the initial reductionsare complete in July to assess the security situation. Gatessaid Petraeus convinced him that a pause would be appropriate.
While praising Sadr for the truce, the U.S. military haspursued what it calls rogue elements of the Mehdi Army. Itaccuses Iran of arming these groups, a charge Tehran denies.
(Additional reporting by Kristin Roberts; editing by DeanYates)
