AP: Iraqi Shiite Leader to Prod Bush on Iran

[Eugene]

Iraqi Shiite Leader to Prod Bush on Iran

By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
The Associated Press
Saturday, December 2, 2006; 3:53 PM

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A Shiite powerbroker reviled by Sunni Arabs for his ties
to Iran and a militia linked to sectarian violence will ask President Bush
to seek Iran's help in their upcoming White House meeting and try to allay
U.S. concerns over Iranian influence in Iraq.

Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who is due to meet with Bush on Monday, on Saturday
dismissed speculation that his trip to the United States threatened the
authority of beleaguered Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who came under
criticism for meeting with Bush last week in Jordan.

-snip-

Two al-Maliki aides and third close to al-Hakim said the prime minister
and the SCIRI leader had discussed the White House visit. The aides, who
spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for disclosing confidential
information, said al-Hakim was expected to try to persuade Bush to enlist
Iran's help in quelling violence in Iraq. In return, they said, al-Hakim
would pledge not to allow Iran to use him to promote its own interests,
said by analysts to be "controlled chaos" that keeps the United States
preoccupied with Iraq.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/02/AR2006120200633.html