Nine Iraqi militias, with more than 100,000 members, agreed Monday to disband in exchange for veterans’ pensions, jobs in Iraq’s new security forces, and other rewards. But the deal to rid the country of independent armed groups did not include Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia, which has caused by far the biggest security problems across Iraq. Announcing the accord, officials of the U.S.-led occupation authority said that any militias that don’t take part will be considered "illegal armed groups" and their members and political leaders will be banned from running for office for three years. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi hailed the agreement as "a watershed in establishing the rule of law," and promised that any militias that choose not to take part in the transition to legal security jobs or civilian life "will be dealt with harshly." Two senior occupation officials said the authority had made no effort to invite Al-Sadr, a radical cleric whose followers are mainly young, urban Shiite Muslims, to join the agreement or even to inform him of the talks they held over the past several months with the other nine militias.
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