"Hi,
The problem with the Mahdi Army is that its fortunes have changed dramatically particularly since the start of the civil strife (which we shall refrain from calling civil war). You should remember that when the 1st Mahdi Army uprising during the Alawi provisional government time, most Shiites shunned the Sadrists and despised them and the uprising was put down relatively easily. However, since the destruction of the Samara shrine, the Sadrists have emerged as the main active participants in the internecine civil struggle, and are seen by many Shiaas as their main defendants against the extremist Sunni attacks."
The Mesopotamian