Asad-Sadr talks discussed opening Syrian embassy in Iraq

[ECH1969]

Iraqi Shiite radical cleric Moqtada Sadr met with Syrian President Bashar Asad on 12/2/06 in Damascus for the second time in a week. Sources close to him say his talks with Asad focused on the Iraqi-Syrian relations and the necessity of opening a Syrian embassy in Baghdad. Asad agreed. The talks also discussed the situation on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Sadr tried to know to what extent Syria is prepared to help block infiltration into Iraq. Asad agreed to help if the UN or the Coalition forces provide Syria with the necessary equipment.

The talks also raised the subject of Syrian-Shiite relations and the necessity of securing the roads for Shiite pilgrims while traveling to Syria or Iraq to visit Shiite holy shrines. Asad and Sadr welcomed the US move to contact Sunni tribes in western Iraq and supported the security measures there to prevent the Al-Qaeda groups from attacking the Shiite pilgrims.

http://www.tacticalreport.com/Articles/IIRNews/2006/13022006.htm

[bemildred]

1. Kick for al Sadr, the new Iraqi kingmaker. nt

[sabra]

2. yep, aren't Sadr and Jafari good buddies?

[bemildred]

3. Apparently more than good buddies:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2102671#2105305

Moqtada got him the votes.

[ECH1969]

4. Sadr killed a fellow Shia cleric in 2003

In order to get Sadr's support to be PM, Jaffari ordered the indictment and evidence destroyed.

[bemildred]

5. And he called you right afterwards to tell you about the deal? nt

[ECH1969]

6. It was widely reported in the Iraqi press

http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=3193

[bemildred]

7. That is over a year old, from London.

There is no dispute they are buddies, however it is a bit of a stretch to believe that Jaafari did that back then because al Sadr promised to support him now. It seems far more likely that that was done as part of the deal that got Moqtada to stand down in Najaf.

Edit: Just to be clear, back then, Moqtada did not have the seats in the Parliament. If you are saying that Moqtada supported him back then in exchange for the disappearance of the indictment, that seems possible. In this case, Jaafari was an alternative to the SCIRI fellow, and I would suspect that has much to do with his support this time around.

[ECH1969]

8. December 27 2005 is over a year old?

The election was December 15th the political fight over PM has been on the second the election was over.

[bemildred]

9. My mistake, you are right about that. nt