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Iraq
Sistani, Mookie meet
2007-01-08
NAJAF, Iraq, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Radical young Shi'ite cleric and militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr met the reclusive spiritual leader of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani, on Sunday, aides to Sadr said. The reason for their first meeting in more than a year was not clear.
It annoints Mookie.
The talks at Sistani's residence in the holy city of Najaf are part of delicate power relationships among the Islamist leaders of Iraq's now dominant Shi'ite majority, all of whom acknowledge Sistani's role as patron of their movement. An aide to Sadr, Issam al-Moussawi, said the meeting was "cordial" and touched on "the security and political situation".
It unfortunately prob'ly didn't convey the message to Mookie of 'sit down and shut up'.
Sadr's political bloc is part of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national unity government but has been boycotting cabinet and parliament for the past month in protest at Maliki's renewal of the U.N. mandate for the U.S. forces.

Sadr's Mehdi Army militia is blamed by U.S. and some Iraqi officials for some of the worst sectarian violence afflicting Baghdad and other parts of the country, although Sadr himself has pretended to disowned groups carrying out death squad killings.

Maliki announced on Saturday a major crackdown in Baghdad on armed groups "regardless of sect", suggesting he may be ready to move against some Mehdi Army groups after months of resisting pressure from Washington and minority Sunni leaders to do so.

Sistani is the sponsor of the United Alliance bloc to which Sadr, Maliki and the other main Shi'ite political leaders belong. He has urged Shi'ites not to employ violence, although the rise in sectarian bloodshed over the past year has demonstrated that they aren't listening highlighted the limits of his authority.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  sistanis problem is that the obvious Iraqi govt to crush Moqtie is Kurds+moderate Sunnis+ secular Allawi followers - maybe + SCIRI. And sistani doesnt trust the Sunnis OR the secularists farther than he can throw them, and he probably doesnt really trust the Kurds much either. So hes still a lot more comfortable with a united Shia bloc - OTOH that means giving the Sadrists enough room to keep the country in horrible shape. So all Sistani can do is go around talking, trying to figure something out.


I presume what he told Moqty was something on the lines of - "look, I had left politics, but I came back cause of this genocidal shit, and I want it to STOP, and I like you Moqty, I really do, and I want you to have influence, I really do, BUT if you dont do SOMETHING to stop all this killing I wont have a choice but to back up SCIRI in a coalition that excludes you"
Posted by: liberalhawk   2007-01-08 13:20  

#5  Mookie wants a comitment from Sistani to come bail his lard ass out again, just in case.
Posted by: RD   2007-01-08 13:00  

#4  But, but, but . . . this is impossible! Northeast Intelligence Network reported that Sistani died two weeks ago! Does this mean that NEIN isn't reliable?

[/sarcasam]
Posted by: Mike   2007-01-08 11:20  

#3  Apparently, another opportunity to nab Mookie missed.
Posted by: doc   2007-01-08 10:28  

#2  Whahahhaaha,exactly Jim.
Posted by: Besoeker   2007-01-08 08:11  

#1  The passing of the torch?
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-01-08 08:09  

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