SS, I think someone who is actually there has more firsthand experience on the truth of the situation than you do.
Also, IMO, I think the only reason why Mookie hasn't caught a JDAM is because he's a sucky "send guys with AKs that way or something" military leader in terms of strategy, and that's better than an unknown who might actually how to organize his forces into dangerous-to-US-troops strategic maneuvers. AFAIK, Mookie knows nothing of flanking, pincer maneuvers or any such things, and that's good.
Yes, but the key factor for this discussion is how Iraqis see Muqtada, not how the US could kill him. The fact is that he is clearly more in control of his base than Al Maliki, and that he beat the Iraqi Security Forces hands down-they surrendered by the thousands or simply refused to fight because Al Maliki's government is that unpopular.
The next election in Iraq will be either one of two things: Massive fraud, or massive turnout for anti-American politicians like Al Sadr.
It's bad enough that former units of the Iranian military are the only bastion of support for the current government; it is not going to get better for the US anytime soon.