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Source: http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040818-092342-8460r.htm
Why Najaf Matters
(Washington Times) Walid Phares - Why is the storming of Muqtada al-Sadr's base in Najaf and other locations in Iraq important? Muqtada is the leader of a faction heavily linked to Iran. This young Shi'ite cleric's looks and gestures amazingly resemble the current leader of Lebanon's Hizballah. His late father, Mohammed al-Sadr, a classmate of Ayatollah Khomeini, led a fierce opposition to Saddam Hussein's regime for almost two decades, mostly inspired by the jihadist ideology in neighboring Iran. Muqtada's father aimed at replacing Saddam's pan-Arabism with an Islamist republic. In 1999, Muqtada's father was executed by Saddam's regime. Thanks to the U.S.-led invasion, the Sadrists made it back to Iraq from Iran, with Muqtada suddenly projected as the new leader of the al-Sadr clan. Tehran wants a vassal power in Iraq and Muqtada is their man.