Cease-fire agreement reportedly indefinitely extended

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has reportedly indefinitely extended a cease-fire agreement that he and his Mahdi Army militia have observed since August 2007. Al-Sadr is a well-known anti-U.S. cleric and has fought against the presence of U.S. forces in the country; he has a large following that has been considered to be one of the most powerful and influential political and military movements in Iraq. The cease-fire agreement was implemented as a six month truce in August 2007 and was extended for a further six months in February 2008. Al-Sadr posted a hand-written letter confirming the indefinite truce on his Web site; he also stated that any member who violated the agreement would "not be considered part of the group."