wi ▁in ▁power ; ▁ultimately ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁margin ally ▁more ▁popular ▁than ▁Chal abi . ▁ ▁The ▁Al la wi ▁government , ▁with ▁significant ▁numbers ▁of ▁hold o vers ▁from ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Pro vis ional ▁Author ity , ▁began ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁secure ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁oil ▁infrastr ucture , ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁Ira q ' s ▁foreign ▁currency , ▁and ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁cities ▁of ▁Ira q . ▁The ▁continu ing ▁ins ur gen cies , ▁poor ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Army , ▁dis organ ized ▁condition ▁of ▁police ▁and ▁security ▁forces , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁re venue ▁ham per ed ▁their ▁efforts ▁to ▁assert ▁control . ▁In ▁addition , ▁both ▁former ▁Ba ' ath ist ▁elements ▁and ▁milit ant ▁Sh ia ▁groups ▁engaged ▁in ▁sab ot age , ▁terror ism , ▁open ▁re bell ion , ▁and ▁establish ing ▁their ▁own ▁security ▁zones ▁in ▁all ▁or ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁dozen ▁cities . ▁The ▁Al la wi ▁government ▁v owed ▁to ▁cr ush ▁resistance , ▁using ▁U . S . ▁troops , ▁but ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁negoti ated ▁with ▁Mu qt ada ▁al - S adr . ▁ ▁Off ens ives ▁and ▁counter off ens ives ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁ 8 ▁November , ▁American ▁and ▁Ira qi ▁forces ▁inv aded ▁the ▁milit ant ▁strong hold ▁of ▁Fall uj ah ▁in ▁Operation ▁Ph antom ▁F ury , ▁killing ▁and ▁capt uring ▁many ▁ins urg ents . ▁Many ▁reb els ▁were ▁thought