Reading this Belmont Club analysis (via Instapundit), I couldn't help but notice the reference to Muqtada Sadr's group calling itself "the Mahdi Army." You'll recall the self-proclaimed 'Mahdi,' from your 19th century history as the quasi-messianic figure who led an Islamist revolt against the British in Sudan that was ultimately suppressed following the defeat of the Mahdi's army by General 'Chinese' Gordon at Omdurman (more on that in general here and specifically here).