Mahdi Army and Gas

IWPR reports on the Mahdi Army's work organizing fuel distribution in Sadr City to prevent price gouging and ensure everyone has access. This is the sort of thing the American forces have been unable to do throughout much of the country because we simply don't have enough troops to effectively fight the insurgency and handle these sorts of day-to-day issues. This creates an opening through which a figure like Muqtada Sadr, whose political program is pretty marginal by Iraqi standards, can earn respect and a huge following.