So how long will it be before this guy is running Iraq?

[trumad]

Moqtada Sadr

[Lucinda]

1. Is that a blue turban?

I wasn't aware of him....googling now.

[trumad]

2. He's one bad ass Shia

Iran's little stepchild.

Very powerful in Iraq and the cause of much of our misery at the beginning of the war.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Oh O on the Blue Turban thingy

Hmmmmm? Oh O.

[Lucinda]

25. Odd where the mend goes sometimes....

but that was my first though.

[a la izquierda]

17. It's Muqtada al Sadr, no? nt

[TxVietVet]

3. I'd give it a year.

[madokie]

5. If thats who the people want then I support him

He don't take any shit from anyone seems to me like. I really don't know his politics and frankly don't care. All I know is we are wrong in being there in the first place.

[trumad]

6. I agree...

and here's the main point:

If he does come into power...

We wasted two trillion dollars and thousands of lives replacing Saddam with a fundamentalist nut job.

[joshcryer]

7. We learned nothing from Latin America. Well, the neocons didn't.

If Obama were a neocon as is often touted, he'd force Iraq to just "deal with it" and occupy Iraq indefinitely. Ask McCain.

[a la izquierda]

19. I've tried to explain this to my students...

it's my job over the next 7 weeks, to get my freshman to realize this. Latin America in the 50s-80s serves as a great example of what not to do in the Middle East. Slightly different set of political circumstances, but similar enough for good comparisons to be made.

[joshcryer]

20. Obama is leading the charge, too, and he's not getting credit for cleaning up the messes...

...the neocons have created there. Humans desire democracy, they desire agency, self-determination, it's just something that inter-social relationships always strives for (a discussion between two people is inherently democratic, you stop talking, I start talking, etc, etc).

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. Not clear that the messes have been cleaned up

[newfie11]

10. like we have done over and over and over

but we get to show off our pretty killing machines!

[madokie]

21. Yup no matter the outcome we wasted two trillion dollars anyway.

and the thousands of lives on both sides and for that I'm pissed at the dick and w and will always be pissed at the two greedy bastard traitors

[JCMach1]

8. Never, the Saudis would NEVER allow it.... they would split Iraq into total civil war first

[bluestate10]

11. I agree. The Saudis would not allow a Shia empire on their doorstep.

The Saudis have enough with Iran being nearby. If Sadr tried to take over, there will be massive bloodshed and he will ultimately face the fate of Gadaffi.

[xchrom]

9. he doesn't really NEED to run it -- his influence is pretty strong

& this way he gets to take a lot less blame.

depending on what happens in syria -- we will see a iran, iraq, syria trad of sorts.

w/ iran exerting the most influence on the other {willing} two.

not really the outcome neocons wanted - but there ya go.

[bluestate10]

14. I agree. Sadr would not try to take direct power. Way too dangerous for him.

I expect to continue to see a weak coalition ruling the country. But I expect islamic religion to have powerful sway in everyone's daily life. The people that may end up suffering are christians and the non-religious.

[NNN0LHI]

12. Last I checked Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is still alive so this good ole boy has to wait

For a while anyway.

Don

[bluestate10]

15. Even after Sistani, there are more senior clerics in line to influence.

Sadr is a young poser. If he gets out of hand without the US in Iraq to split factions, he will be killed.

[The Magistrate]

26. Those Men, Sir, Do Not have The Militia He Does

[asjr]

13. I've always maintained that

when we leave Iraq the Iraqis will do as they damn well please. It has never been our country. Not that we will have learned anything if Repubs have their way.

[trumad]

16. Yep

By far the worst foreign policy blunder of my lifetime...

[H2O Man]

18. He has been

Iraq's "shadow government leader" since the US invaded. Now, he will simply consolidate power.

[trumad]

22. Which will be far more repressive than Saddam was.

[FarCenter]

24. Shiites are over 60% of the population in Iraq

Therefore, a democratic Iraq will be a Shiite Iraq.