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What Happens When Defeat Devours One' Will
By Nibras Kazimi, Visiting Scholar at the Hudson InstituteNot only has Maliki not backed down, but newly emboldened with wide political backing hes begun to smash through Sadr City itself and is threatening to banish the Sadrists to a political Siberia. Muqtada al-Sadr, the guy the media has us thinking had won, has prostrated himself at the feet of Grand Ayotallah Sistani, promising Maliki that he would indeed demobilize his militia if the wise old men of Shiism would have it so. Gone are the millenarian certainties of taking orders from the Mahdi, the messiah. Gone is all that bluster of al-Sadrs virile, confident Outspoken hawza contrasted with Sistanis supposedly feeble and retro Silent hawza. And he sends out his plea for clemency from Iran. FROM IRAN?!! .... Sadr surrendering his fate to Sistani and submissively muttering, Do as you please, Sir. Who would have imagined? It is almost as baffling as Malikis abrupt transformation from an incompetent administrator into a wartime commander-in-chief! And yet, the Sadrists keep sending out confusing signals signifying the confusion within their ranks. It happens, when defeat devours ones will. We will not disarm. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2008-04-08 |
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