"Because of above, Sadr's popularity was so far reaching into Sunni community that Zarqawi felt threatened and in letter to OBL he described how he is forced to redirect his attacks from the Americans towards the Shia so as to provoke reactions and prevent a nationalist resistance instead of a sectarian one."
That is not at all true and you expose yourself as uninformed once again.
Al-Zaraqawi is a Salafi who believes in the depths of his heart that the Shi'ites are the corrupters of God's religion. He sees no one as more deserving of his hate than the people who have done that. He hates them far more than he even hates us, for that reason. We are an obstacle that needs to be taken out for either of them to succeed in their long range goals so they recognize the realities of having common enemy (us). That does not at all put them in bed together however. Al-Zaraqawi will never agree to recognize Shi'ite Leadership or power over him or his followers. He would never consider an alliance with shi'ites or a combined government. He will continue to fight to subordinate them and would prefer genocide at this point.
"Sadr has respect (if not love) of all segments of population because he is perceived as an independent who believes in Iraqi unity.
Al-Sadr is as extreme as Zaraqawi. His initial writings and movements were expressing an opposition to Iraqi unity. Sistani convinced him that he should bide his time and that he would be able to produce better results by working quietly to build power diplomatically as the changes to Iraq take place. Sistani convinced him to do that because he is wise, he is the high Mullah of Shi'ite Islam, and because their alliance is important. Al-Sadr is working within the Nationalisation of Iraq because it is the perfect way to build power into his Shadow government. He has leaders, courts, prisons, an army all falling into place. He was never for national unity and is not for it now, except as it serves his objectives in the short term. ...
Ok. this paragraph and only this paragraph is my opinion. He is letting the National stability develop with all of its benefits so that in the future he can work from the inside to unravel it and emerge as a pheonix ruling from the remnants. If he is successful, he will have an Iraq with rebuilt modern infrastructure, the wealth and resources of the world at his finger tips, a superpower military force and the admiration of a billion or so Muslims ready to band with him. You think that isn't his plan ... think again. He is off to a good start too.
However, his alliance with Sistani is a true alliance. Al-Sadr does not serve Sistani. In fact, Al-Sadr had Sistani force-ably removed from Iraq a few years ago (before the insurgency) when it looked like Sistani could become a Iraqi political figure. Sistani is Persian and Al-Sadr is a very racist Arab who does not want any politicians in Iraq who are not Arab, nor does he want Iran to have power over Iraq. |
