Fiery Anti-U.S. Cleric Reappears in Iraq

[snappyturtle]

Source: Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appeared in public for the first time in months on Friday, delivering a fiery anti-American sermon to thousands of followers and demanding U.S. troops leave Iraq.
It was not immediately clear why he chose to return now from Iran to his base in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. His speech had new nationalist overtones, calling on Sunnis to join with him in the fight against the U.S. presence. He also criticized the government's inability to provide reliable services to its people.

Al-Sadr's reappearance, four months after he went underground at the start of the U.S.-led Baghdad security crackdown, came as his Mahdi Army lost its commander in the southern city of Basra in a gunbattle with British soldiers, Iraqi police said.

The 33-year-old al-Sadr is believed to be honing plans to consolidate political gains and foster ties with Iran—and possibly trying to take advantage of the absence of a major rival, Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went to Iran for treatment.



Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8PBEB500&show_article=1

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Associated Press is reporting that Muqtada al-Sadr delivers sermon to 6,000 Iraqis demanding U.S. troops leave.

[wtmusic]

1. That fiery firebrand is so hot he's burning up

I guess asking America to leave is still considered "fiery".

[blitzen]

6. He's Red Hot and Rollin' n/t

[NastyDiaper]

2. The Theocract returns. To announce his campaign maybe?

/gg,*. Anyone expected different?

[NW_BEAST]

3. Oddly enough

He seems to be talking peace.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/25/iraq.main/index.html

[snappyturtle]

4. I think so too but that wouldn't look good for *!

When al-Sadr speaks of protests and sit ins he definitely isn't promoting violence.....how will the administration (ours) handle the sanity?

[DS1]

5. Those black robes weren't suited for further training on Dagobah anyway