It is to be expected that in the first months and years of democratization, the population of a country will be enticed by extremist ideologies and their advocates. Iraq is no different. Muqtada al-Sadr has meant no good to either the Allied occupation or pluralist democracy. He is a thug of the first order. Now he has declared open war:

The firebrand Shia Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr declared Friday that he would become the striking arm for Hezbollah and Hamas in Iraq, signaling his opposition to the U.S. occupation might turn violent.

An alliance between al-Sadr and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas could present a grave challenge for the United States as it prepares to hand formal political power to Iraqis on June 30.

"I will support the real Islamic unity that has been created by Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of the victorious Hezbollah, with Hamas," al-Sadr said at a Friday sermon in the southern city of Kufa. "I want them to accept me as their striking arm in Iraq, as necessity and opportunity dictate."

Notably, the article considers al-Sadr's unrepealable declaration a bid to lift his sagging support. Indeed, extremism loses its popularity as a society liberalizes and stabilizes. There is no longer any sliver of a chance for political resolution that the diplomats in the Coalition Provisional Authority might have been hoping for. Al-Sadr has been an opponent of civil authority and natural rights; now he is an ally of Islamism and authoritarianism. Not a troublemaker - but a terrorist. If the Allies and the Iraqi Governing Council - and President Bush himself - wish to keep the trust of the Iraqi people, they should immediately discard all illusions of mollifying al-Sadr, then permanently remove the base strongman and end his movement.

TRUE TO HIS SICKENING WORD: Fighting has begun with al-Sadr's followers. The deaths of the Allies and Iraqis are tragic, especially at a time when democratic sovereignty is imminent, but this insurrection has been waiting to happen. It must be put down.

WHAT IRAQI DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING: Zeyad minces no words in his disgust for al-Sadr:

Last word from Muqty was that he asked his followers to stop demonstrating and to resort to 'other methods' since demonstrations aren't working. Al-Jazeera is having difficulties concealing their excitement and they have already coined this as the 'start of the Shia resistance in Iraq'.

Iraqis know very well who those 'pious' people are. They are gangsters, rapists, murderers, thieves, kidnappers, looters, and criminals. They are only using religion as cover. I can't even dream of what would happen if those people were left to make trouble on our streets that way without punishment. I believe that it's now time for Al-Sadr to experience a very bad accident soon.

Read it yourself. The vast majority of Iraqis who want peace and freedom know exactly what mongrels al-Sadr and his ilk are. Omar agrees, adding:

I think that we have many respectable personalities in the GC and they should do their move now and speak to the people to make them understand the seriousness of the situation. Also Sistani and other religious leaders should do something about it if they really care about Iraqis’ lives and Iraq’s future. They should be direct and tell those who think that they’re resisting the “occupation” that these actions will delay Iraq’s independence and that they just have to wait for less than 90 days to get sovereignty. As for those who cannot be reasoned with, I think they should be prevented from hindering the progress in Iraq by all the necessary means.

Good intentions are things that evil gleefully swallows up. Force must be used to keep Iraq safe, and the most interested parties are ready to defend their newfound freedom. As an Iraqi expatriate puts it, "You will never defeat us."