Pure crap (he’s probably in Iran, doubtless with an impressive security detail) but worrisome given the deadline this weekend for him to decide whether to extend the Mahdi Army’s ceasefire with Petraeus. Smells to me like a pretext for calling it off, with the M.O. ginned up to capitalize on the rumors in the region about Mughniyeh having been only one of several targets in a massive Mossad operation against jihadi MVPs. This conveniently puts Sadr in that category:

I think this is related to Muqtada’s sudden decision today “Cleric threatens to end Iraq ceasefire”, the “Breaking News” report on Nahrain Net [Sadrists website] says; the symptoms started since month ago probably the attempt was done by a toxic or a radio active material.

The source said; there are suspicions of American – Israeli and possibly British intelligences behind this assassination attempt.

This source did not give more details but he said that the situation is under control.

He’s not really going to gamble his popularity on destabilizing Iraq anew, is he? Petraeus is playing it cool but Sadr’s lackeys claim he’s leaning towards calling it off, possibly on a region by region basis. Maybe he figures it’s one thing for him to lie low while the Iraqi government’s doing jack and another thing to lie low when there are signs of reconciliation, which threaten his legitimacy as a Shiite partisan. Plus, the longer he plays nice, the easier it is for the GOP to defend the war and extend the occupation. No time like the present. Quote:

With deadly attacks against U.S. targets increasing around Baghdad, anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr raised the possibility Wednesday that he may not renew a six-month cease-fire widely credited for helping slash violence…

A surge of violence would also make it all the more difficult for Iraq’s Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds to reach agreements on sharing power and wealth, and greatly complicate the debate in the United States on whether and how quickly to withdraw troops.

His spokesman says if you don’t hear anything by Saturday, it’s game on.

Update: The Sadrist/SCIRI truce is on yellow alert too.