Iraqis Seek Coalition to Curb Cleric by Edward Wong the New York Times

[applegrove]

Iraqis Seek Coalition to Curb Cleric
By EDWARD WONG
New York Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 11 — "Following discussions with the Bush administration, several of Iraq’s major political parties are in talks to form a coalition whose aim is to break the powerful influence of the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr within the government, senior Iraqi officials say.

The talks are taking place among the two main Kurdish groups, the most influential Sunni Arab party and an Iranian-backed Shiite party that has long sought to lead the government. They have invited Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to join them. But Mr. Maliki, a conservative Shiite who has close ties to Mr. Sadr, has held back for fear that the parties might be seeking to oust him, a Shiite legislator close to Mr. Maliki said.

Officials involved in the talks say their aim is not to undermine Mr. Maliki, but to isolate both Mr. Sadr and firebrand Sunni Arab politicians who are inside the government. The mercurial Mr. Sadr controls a militia, the Mahdi Army, with an estimated 60,000 fighters that has rebelled twice against the American military here and is accused of widening the sectarian war by conducting reprisal killings of Sunni Arabs.

The Americans, who are frustrated with Mr. Maliki’s political dependence on Mr. Sadr, appear to be working hard to help build the coalition. President Bush met last week in the White House with the leader of the Iranian-backed Shiite party, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, and is to meet this week with the head of the Sunni Arab party, Tariq al-Hashemi.

..............SNIP"

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/middleeast/11cnd-iraq.html?ei=5094&en=faff015e64320ee2&hp=&ex=1165899600&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

[Kagemusha]

1. Hmm, didn't Snow deny this today?

So much for that. The Kurds coming in is key but... this is basically the "Hand Iraq to Iran's bestest friends in all the Middle East" plan. Geez.

[stillcool]

2. Kurds and an Iran-backed Shiite party...

who have long sought to lead the government? That'll work.