Good News in Iraq

The New York Times reports that the rebel cleric Al-Sadr has accepted truce terms of the interim Iraqi government -- namely to leave the holy shrine and, perhaps, to convert his militia into a political organization. The bad news is that every time Al-Sadr resorts to violence and makes cynical use of holy shrines he grows in popularity, so he might very well do so again. But dealing with the interim government by negotiating and accepting their terms gives it the credibility it so desperately needs. Al-Sadr can't keep working with the Iraqi leaders and then pretend they're illegitimate. That's one good sign for long term stability as the January elections grow closer.