While the newly-formed Iraqi parliament hanged Saddam and ended one of the darkest chapters in Iraqi history, do you think we should be worried about the extremist influence of Islamic cleric Moqtada al-Sadr? For those who are not aware of who he is, Newsweek had him on the cover of their December 4th issue - naming him 'the most dangerous man in Iraq'. The mafia don of the Islamic community, al-Sadr has been leading a sweeping campaign and gaining popularity each and every day. While he acts as a out-spoken cleric, he is also known as the leading force behind one of the most powerful Islamic forces in Iraq, the Mahdi army. Because of his influence, more than 128 chairs of the United Iraqi Alliance is made up of Shiites and Mahdi-army supporters. He is estimated to also be in control of over 45% of Iraq - in what is known as Sadr City. What' s even scarier is how he is tied to Saddam' s death. His last words were to curse Moqtada al-Sadr as well as several of the executioners exclaiming "Long live Moqtada al-Sadr" as he was hung. As scary as it may sound, I personally feel we are in for a long fight with the more conservative dictator of Iraq.
ya we pretty much have another dictator of iraq on our hands, he really isnt the "official" one but he controls alot of iraq
Moqtada al-Sadr is a dangerous man as he is popular, but what I find funny is that he lacks a proper religious education and degrees required by Shia doctrines Dangerous indeed.
They have ben warring there for nearly 2,000 years, I hihgly doubt this will end any time soon. They are one of the oldest races/countries on the planet, we - a country for only about 400 years, cant do much to stop it. They either resolve it themselves or this continues for more hundreds or thousands of years.
I see someone read the wikipedia article Dont take everything you read on wikipedia to be 100% true it is all made by users.
@Machiavelli X: True, but his little title as the most dangerous man in Iraq actually comes out of Newsweek. Whether or not he' s portrayed accurately (might just the liberal media) is not my concern, but he sounds like a serious martyr on the side of extremist Muslims, while the majority party - the Sunnis - are trying to stay out of this.
So long as people in Iraq support clerics like him, it doesn't matter who is hanged or who is killed or who is captured; there will always be another.
Sunni arent the majoirty party. The Shi'a are. Second he is a dangerous man to US intrest. He has shown that he is felxiable, i.e. signing treaties with the americans. My family in Iraq like's him alot. Also, the sunnis dont want ot stay out of it! They are the ones who started to attack us, they are the ones who contuine to bomb us. The only reason Al-sadr got out of his treaty with the americans is because of what the sunni's did as well as the american forces. You have to look at the situation from all view-points not only the western view.
He'll probably be the new pres/dictator, and the US will be the one sticking him in power, just like Sadam and Osama. History tends to repeat itself.
@Machiavelli X: Now, I am not going to say I am right, but I will say I am probably lost. I was told - and have read - that Iraq' s current Islamic community is majority Sunni, as well as majority of the world is Sunni. I have also read that majority power of Shiite lies in Iran and Iraq cause of 1) the popularity of a rising Islamic government with the help of Moqtada and the UIA (United Iraqi Alliance) and 2) the growing support of a theocratic ideology in the Middle East. Remember, I do not know for certain, as I do not specialize in Islamic affairs, but this is what I have been told and what I have read.
