al-Qaeda and understand that we are brothers and citizens of the same country.

"At the same time, freezing Jaysh Al Mehdi (the Mehdi Army) was a message to the Iraqi government to work reasonably, and to help make the Iraqi people respect each other without using force.

"The step towards ending the fighting in Sadr City came as part of our strategy because our people were suffering too much."

However, he re-iterated that Moqtada Sadr's supporters had no intention of giving up their weapons until the multi-national US-backed forces left the country.

Strategy

Mizher Shaher Nesaif, the commander of the Iraqi Infantry Division said the Iraqi army had been welcomed by the people of Sadr City, and that its main job now would be to arrest any wanted men, help provide public servicesand ensure security.

The American military said the Iraqi troop deployment was planned and executed by the Iraqi army itself.

"The operation is to protect the people while setting conditions for sustainable security and increased humanitarian assistance, economic growth and essential services," according to a US statement.

But much will depend on the reactions of the fighters of the Mehdi Army. They could resist when Iraqi troops carry out their plans to confiscate any heavy weapons they find in the area, or to begin to arrest key figures.

Wall builders attacked

Much of the earlier fighting had centred around a massive concrete wall that the US military has been building to cut off at least a third of Sadr City, in an attempt to prevent the flow of weapons to the rest of