If he has, it may be the most significant development of all in the recent string of successes being enjoyed by the coalition and the Iraqi government.Al-Sadr is actually considering extending the cease fire his militia has been following since last August:Sadr, who led uprisings against U.S. troops in 2004 and whose militia were later described by U.S. commanders as their greatest threat, surprised both Iraqis and U.S. forces when he ordered the initial six-month freeze on his militia in August.Washington says the freeze is one of the factors that has led to a decline in violence across Iraq, although it has continued to pursue what it describes as "rogue" Mehdi Army units that have not laid down arms.The son of a revered Shi'ite cleric slain under Saddam Hussein, Sadr has wide influence in the Shi'ite south and parts of Baghdad although he does not himself hold high clerical rank.He has recently begun taking advanced Islamic studies in the religious learning centre of...(Read Full Post)