▁government ▁itself , ▁led ▁to ▁repeated ▁del ays . ▁ ▁Milit ia ▁leader ▁Mu qt ada ▁al - S adr ▁used ▁his ▁grass - ro ots ▁organization ▁and ▁Mah di ▁Milit ia ▁of ▁over ▁a ▁thousand ▁armed ▁men ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Bag hd ad . ▁The ▁Co al ition ▁Pro vis ional ▁Author ity ▁( CP A ) ▁soon ▁realized ▁it ▁had ▁lost ▁control ▁and ▁closed ▁down ▁his ▁popular ▁newspaper . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁mass ▁anti - American ▁demonstr ations . ▁The ▁C PA ▁then ▁attempted ▁to ▁arrest ▁al - S adr ▁on ▁murder ▁charges . ▁He ▁def ied ▁the ▁American ▁military ▁by ▁taking ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁Holy ▁City ▁of ▁Naj af . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁months ▁of ▁July ▁and ▁August , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁sk irm ishes ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Naj af ▁cul min ated ▁with ▁the ▁Im man ▁Ali ▁Mos que ▁itself ▁under ▁sie ge , ▁only ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁peace ▁deal ▁bro ker ed ▁by ▁al - S ist ani ▁in ▁late ▁August . ▁Al - S adr ▁then ▁declared ▁a ▁national ▁ce ase ▁fire , ▁and ▁opened ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁American ▁and ▁government ▁forces . ▁His ▁milit ia ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁security ▁forces ▁and ▁al - S adr ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁special ▁en voy . ▁This ▁incident ▁was ▁the ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁failed ▁American ▁efforts ▁to ▁install ▁Ah med ▁Chal abi ▁as ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁inter im ▁government . ▁The ▁C PA ▁then ▁put ▁I y ad ▁Al la