Ministers loyal to al-Sadr quit cabinet

CABINET ministers loyal to the radical Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr resigned yesterday to protest the prime minister’s refusal to set a timetable for an American withdrawal.

The resignation raised the prospect that the Mahdi Army militia could return to the streets of Baghdad.

The departure of the six ministers, while unlikely to topple Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, deals a significant blow to the US-backed leader, who relied on support from the Sadrists to gain office.