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Published on April 8, 2008

Opportunity was knocking and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki should be praised for taking advantage of the situation. Al-Maliki's recent decision to launch an offensive using Iraqi government troops against militia and outlaws in Basra should be welcomed for a number of reasons.

First of all, for the Iraq government to fight its own fight is a step in the right direction, not to mention the fact that the troops were going against a bunch of outlawed militias.

For too long self-styled militia groups like the Mahdi Army of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been allowed to carve out their own political and geographical turf and that has the potential to destabilise not just Iraq, but the entire Middle East.

Muqtada took advantage of the British pullout from Basra last year by trying to stake a claim in the port city and effectively carved out a chunk of real estate in the oil-rich region of southern Iraq.

Let's not forget that it was the Mahdi Army that was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Sunnis in a sectarian bloodbath between 2006 and 2007.

Al-Maliki and his coalition partners were courageous enough to put aside their political differences and come together to crack down on militia groups in Basra.

Al-Maliki's decision to get tough on Muqtada has won the support of Sunni and Kurdish parties. All sides are concerned that the powerful sectarian militia might get too strong. The unified stance also gave a boost to Iraq's fragile government.

In a sign that national concern is finally overriding political interest, the head of the Kurdish self-ruled region, Massoud Barzani, has offered troops to help al-Maliki's fight against the Mahdi Army.

Iraqi vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi, who had been a staunch critic of al-Maliki, also stepped up at this crucial moment; last week he threw his support behind the Iraqi prime minister.

"The main aim at this critical juncture is to ensure that our political choices are made in Iraq's interest," al-Hashemi said.

A press statement from al-Hashemi quoted him as telling al-Maliki that, "We can bite the bullet and put aside our political differences".

The newfound support could help al-Maliki to persuade the five Sunni ministers who quit their posts to return. If so, this would be a big step towards national reconciliation for Iraq, both for the government and the country.

A success in Basra would definitely boost the political standing of Maliki's Dawa Party and its allies the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, whose Badr Brigade militia is the sworn enemy of the Mahdi Army.

 But while all groups appear to have put aside their differences, bridging Iraq's political rifts is still a distant prospect.

 The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council must be sincere in its support for the government and place national interest above all else - including its ambition to form a self-ruled region similar to the Kurdish area in the north. Let's hope that they are not doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

Amid the growing fear of a further setback for his Mahdi Army, Muqtada called for a ceasefire last weekend. The fact that the government went along with it, instead of shifting gears in an all out campaign to disband the militia, suggests that government troops are not strong enough to decisively impose themselves by force.

The radical young cleric now knows how deadly a unified Iraq could be for him and his Mahdi Army. He has opted to take a wait-and-see approach.

The good thing about the offensive in Basra is that it gives bitter political rivals a reason to let go of their differences and the world needs to provide the Iraqi government with the support it needs to ensure that this comfort level can continue to strengthen.

The longer they wait, the stronger Muqtada's Mahdi Army will get. Unfortunately, time, it seems, in on the side of the radical cleric, not the government.

The Nation