Mycroft
23rd May 2005, 09:43 AM
It looks like he's considering getting into politics:
Rebel Shiite Cleric Hints He'll Shift to Politics, Not War
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 22 - One day after a large group of anti-American Sunni leaders pledged to enter the political process, a rebel Shiite cleric who led uprisings against the American military suggested Sunday that he would forgo military efforts and work to ease rising sectarian tensions throughout Iraq.
The cleric, Moktada al-Sadr, led bloody revolts against American forces last year and was accused of murdering a rival Shiite cleric the year before. Many American officials view him as untrustworthy and continue to fear that he has been lying low so he can bring his militia back in force.
In an interview Sunday night with the Arabiya satellite news channel, Mr. Sadr declared that he now wanted to solve problems "politically, socially and peacefully."
Referring to the current wave of sectarian violence that Mr. Sadr said he wants to help defuse, he said, "Each period of time has its own necessities, and now I see that we face a political and cultural war." He also said: "We cannot face political war in a military action. The military war is to be faced with a military war, but the political war is to be faced with itself."
That's nice. A bit late, but nice.
So, Sunni leaders are pledging to enter the political process, and Al-Sadr, a Shiite leader wants to also.
Overall it looks like progress to me.
Rebel Shiite Cleric Hints He'll Shift to Politics, Not War
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 22 - One day after a large group of anti-American Sunni leaders pledged to enter the political process, a rebel Shiite cleric who led uprisings against the American military suggested Sunday that he would forgo military efforts and work to ease rising sectarian tensions throughout Iraq.
The cleric, Moktada al-Sadr, led bloody revolts against American forces last year and was accused of murdering a rival Shiite cleric the year before. Many American officials view him as untrustworthy and continue to fear that he has been lying low so he can bring his militia back in force.
In an interview Sunday night with the Arabiya satellite news channel, Mr. Sadr declared that he now wanted to solve problems "politically, socially and peacefully."
Referring to the current wave of sectarian violence that Mr. Sadr said he wants to help defuse, he said, "Each period of time has its own necessities, and now I see that we face a political and cultural war." He also said: "We cannot face political war in a military action. The military war is to be faced with a military war, but the political war is to be faced with itself."
That's nice. A bit late, but nice.
So, Sunni leaders are pledging to enter the political process, and Al-Sadr, a Shiite leader wants to also.
Overall it looks like progress to me.