Sadr

[nicky g]

There is a widespread notion on this board that Muqtada al-Sadr is Iran's puppet in Iraq. I'd like to point out that this is completely wrong. Sadr is an Iraqi nationalist. His family stayed in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war and castigated other clerics who went to Iran. Members of the Badr Brigades, the militia of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, were trained by the Iranian Revolutionary guards and faught on Iran's side in the war - the Sadrists viciously condemned them for this and have long accused SCIRI of being an Iranian puppet, which has some truth to it. THe Mehdi Army and the Badr Brigades have occasionally fought each ohter. The violence has pushed Sadr closer to Iran and all Shi'i groups have some links to it. However of the important Shi'i groups, Sadr's is the least influenced by Iran. Comments such as "Iran will order Sadr to do such and so" are off the mark - the Sadrists are their own men and don't take orders from anyone.