Comments on: The ‘Awakening’ of Muqtada al-Sadr: What is Iran’s Role?

By: Slamfu

Slamfu — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:22:52 +0000

damn beat me to it

By: Slamfu

Slamfu — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:22:06 +0000

Is it just me or does he look like he should have a lightsaber?

By: ChrisWWW

ChrisWWW — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:30:26 +0000

I don't have anything substantive to add to this discussion, but I just wanted to chime in and say that the photo is amazing! Makes him look like Darth Vader or something.

By: domajot

domajot — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:01:09 +0000

How can one tell the difference between an awakening and a regrouping?
I think it's much too early to tell what all these awakwnings mean ior the long term.future of Iraq. .
It's hard to imagine a man like al-Sadr suddently ungergoing a conversion in his basic vision for the tuture of Iraq, one radically different than the democratic one currently in development. Is he embracing peace, or did he simply find it too difficult to do otherwise?
For the moment, the lion sleeps. Asleep or awake, al-Sadr remains a dangerous lion, and we can only hope that no occasion arises for thim to wake and begin his mischief again.

By: Iraq » The ‘Awakening’ of Muqtada al-Sadr: What is Iran’s Role?

Iraq » The ‘Awakening’ of Muqtada al-Sadr: What is Iran’s Role? — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:03:11 +0000

[...] The Moderate Voice – Domestic and international news analysis, irreverent comments, original reporti… wrote an interesting post today on The â??Awakeningâ?? of Muqtada al-Sadr: What is Iranâ??s Role?Here’s a quick excerptThe ‘Awakening’ of Muqtada al-Sadr: What is Iran’s Role? February 26th, 2008 by WILLIAM KERN Now that the man once described by the U.S. government and media as ‘radical Shiite cleric’ Muqtada al-Sadr, has extended the truce observed by his Mahdi Army Militia, some are wondering what could be behind his apparent embrace of peace. It may well be that the inter-Shiite violence that was ripping parts of Iraq apart was not to Iran’s liking. Elias Harfouche of Lebanon’s Dar al-Hayat writes, ‘Af [...]

By: jscott

jscott — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:46:37 +0000

Any chance “his apparent embrace of peace” is related to a payoff from the US to keep his forces on the sideline so the surge appears to work?