Some Sadr supporters are also involved in delicate negotiations with American officials to avoid a head-on confrontation in the sprawling slum of Sadr City.
If the commission forces a head-on confrontation with France and Germany later this month, however, it is the French and Germans who will probably win.
The prime minister says he is ready to foot that bill and to reach his goals gradually rather than provoke a head-on confrontation with the dogged haredim.
Mr Kutan, anxious to avoid a head-on confrontation with the top brass, has expressed his willingness to step aside and let somebody else lead the country into an election the Islamists hope they can win.