Anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will end all his movement’s attacks on U.S. troops if the United States agrees to a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, his chief spokesman said Friday.

The spokesman, Salah al-Obaidi, said Sadr’s paramilitary cells have already been ordered to stop fighting as U.S. and Iraqi officials negotiate an agreement over the presence of American forces in Iraq. He said the cells will be disbanded as soon as the United States agrees to a deadline for leaving the country.

Sadr’s aides said that the movement’s new religious program will be called al-Mumahidoon, meaning “those who pave the way.” The name refers to the belief of Sadr’s followers that they are preparing for the return to earth of Imam Mahdi, a 9th-century saint revered by Shiites.

The naming of the new movement follows Sadr’s declaration in June that he would permanently disarm the Mahdi Army, once the most feared militia in the country, and restrict fighting to members of specialized paramilitary cells assigned to attack U.S. troops. His decision to order a cease-fire last year is widely considered to be one of the main reasons security has improved in Iraq.

Obaidi said the Mahdi Army will not be dissolved but will simply readjust its focus away from fighting. He said he could not comment on the specialized fighting cells.

It remains unclear whether all of Sadr’s followers will abide by the permanent cease-fire, but his supporters are working widely to publicize the announcement. Across Baghdad, posters have appeared explaining the orders to disarm.

The news just keeps getting better out of Iraq.  But none of it is good news for the McCain plan to stay for an extended time.