Threatened with an imminent raid of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf by Iraqi forces, radical Islamist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has agreed to disband his militia, vacate the mosque, and "enter into the mainstream political process."

Pressure has been building against al-Sadr for quite some time now. The power-hungry cleric has been stirring up trouble in Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad since early April. On May 21, over 2,000 Iraqis held a demonstration in the city of Karbala insisting that al-Sadr and his militiamen -- thugs -- get out of town. On May 11, about 1,000 moderate Shiite Muslims protested against al-Sadr in Najaf. Over the last two weeks, 1,800 Iraqi troops alongside 2,000 U.S. marines have been attempting to clean up the mess that Sadr and his militia have made of Najaf. The joint U.S./Iraqi forces have killed about 300 of Sadr’s 1,000 militiamen. Today, Iraqis showed an iron will in bringing stability to their own country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has lost all patience with Sadr. He made the decision to have Iraqi forces storm the Imam Ali mosque, the most holy site for Shiite Muslims and the place where Sadr was cynically holed up, and take out the trash. According to Allawi,

Iraq will not stand with arms folded. The government's position is clear and specific to ending armed manifestations, stopping acts of sabotage and making the armed men leave Najaf and the mosque.

Iraq’s interim Defense Minister Hazem Sha'alan said the Iraqi government was committed to free

Najaf city from the gang of mercenaries. We will teach those people a lesson in their lives, which they will never forget.

Najaf has been a major sore spot in the rebuilding of Iraq. Hopefully the removal of Sadr and his thugs will enhance the nation’s security. An Iraqi judge issued a warrant for Sadr's arrest months ago. Sadr is accused of murdering a rival cleric. Let's hope Sadr is just arrested and/or killed, and not allowed to "enter into the mainstream political process." Whether he is dealt with or allowed to keep stirring up trouble will be a test of Iraq's interim government.