Shiite cleric with links to Iran tops Iraqi election list

[Esslinger]

A cleric with links to Iran leads the candidate list of a powerful coalition of Iraq's mainstream Shiite groups for next month's election, an aide said Friday.

Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim - the head of Iraq's largest Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (SCIRI) - would stand to take a central position in the assembly that will create Iraq's next government and constitution, if the coalition takes most Parliament seats in the Jan. 30 vote.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari denied in remarks published Friday that Iran was trying to influence Iraqi elections with the aim of creating a "crescent" dominated by Shiites in the region.

"We have been assured by the Iranians they will not interfere in Iraq's domestic affairs," he said in response to comments published Wednesday by King Abdullah II of Jordan.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=10917

[killbotfactory]

1. If that's what the Iraqi's want, it's what they'll get, right?

We'll just start packing and let them become an pro-Iran democracy.

Freedom will march on!

Ten bucks says the poor bastard gets "disappeared" by "insurgents"

[Skink]

2. He's no Sistani...

No, Nope ,Nada. stay tuned for another Islamic revolution.