By Dean Yates

BAGHDAD, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Saturday welcomed a move by Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to freeze the activities of his militia and said it hoped security forces could now focus more on fighting Sunni Islamist al Qaeda.

The anti-American cleric on Wednesday ordered his Mehdi Army to suspend armed action for up to six months after dozens of people were killed during gunbattles involving the militia at a Shi'ite pilgrimage in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala.

"Moqtada al-Sadr's declaration holds the potential to reduce criminal activity and help re-unite Iraqis separated by ethno-sectarian violence and fear," the U.S. military said in a statement, its first detailed comment on the suspension order.

Iraq's government has also welcomed the move and said it hoped other militias would follow suit.

U.S. forces have raided the Mehdi Army stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad repeatedly in the past weeks, targeting fighters they say have links to neighbouring Iran. There have also been numerous recent clashes between U.S. forces and Mehdi fighters in Shi'ite cities such as Diwaniyah.

But the U.S. military regards al Qaeda in Iraq as "public enemy number one", partly because of the group's widespread use of car bomb attacks on civilians.

"If implemented, Sadr's order holds the prospect of allowing coalition and Iraqi security forces to intensify their focus on al Qaeda in Iraq and on protecting the Iraqi population ... without distraction from Jaysh al-Mahdi attacks," the statement said, using the Arabic name for the Mehdi Army.

A senior Sadr aide said on Thursday the order to stop armed action might only last a week if American and Iraqi forces did not stop detaining the fiery cleric's followers.

Sadr's aides have said the suspension was designed to allow Sadr to weed out rogue elements from the militia, but analysts said the test would be whether his fighters obeyed.

Armed followers of Sadr have stayed off the streets following his surprise announcement. But many have said they would fight U.S. troops if provoked.

Sadr, a youthful cleric with a mass following among Iraq's impoverished urban Shi'ites, set up the Mehdi Army in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. It has thousands of members.

A year later, Sadr led his militia in two uprisings against U.S. forces before getting involved in mainstream politics. He played a key role in the rise to power of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in 2006.

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