Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Sadr opposes SCIRI on federalism
Politics
Shia cleric and politician Moqtada al-Sadr remains opposed to the plan of a federal Iraq, despite a meeting Sunday night in Najaf between Sadr and his intermittent rival Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the prominent Shia political party that is leading the push for federalism.
"We stand to benefit from federalism because the Sadr movement enjoys wide support of the majority of the people in the centre and the south," said Nouri, the Sadr aide. "But we will not accept that, because national interest is above any other interest."
COMMENT: The dispute between al-Sadr's bloc and SCIRI illustrates how splintered the Shia bloc is and how new chasms appear on an almost daily basis. It seems unlikley that there will ever be a Shia federal south if the Shias cannot begin by agreeing amongst themselves. This is unlikely as they haven't maanged to do that since Iraq's transitional government was formed. COMMENT ENDS.
