Badr threatens to take up arms against former Saddam loyalists

The former military wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq threatened Tuesday to take up arms against former Saddam Hussein loyalists if they make gains in Thursday's legislative elections. The blunt warning by the Badr Organization contradicted earlier remarks by the head of SCIRI, Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, in which he said his group's former militia was ready to help with election security. The threat also comes as Iraqis abroad cast the first ballots in their country's election of postwar first full-term Parliament.

"If Baathists regain power, we will take up arms against them just as we did against Saddam Hussein," warned Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr, that many say still wields weapons.

His comment was aimed at Iyad Allawi, a former member of Saddam's ruling Baath Party who later broke with the movement and plotted a failed CIA-backed coup against the then dictator.

Allawi is seen as the candidate most likely to draw off Shiite votes from the SCIRI-dominated United Iraqi Alliance, the main Shiite choice in the election. Allawi, who heads a largely secular list that encompasses Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds, is appealing for the middle ground, urging Iraqis away from a religious vote.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=20753

Civil War has started so the Idea American Troops leaving will cause civil war is laughlable.

moderate Shia like Allawi, Sunni, or anyone other then non-member of the Shia Islmic Parties who wants to rule Iraq.