|
Moqtada al-Sadr Makes Unannounced Visit to Iran
Populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr flew to Iran on Monday, a top aide said, one day after hundreds of his supporters withdrew from their occupation of Iraq’s highly fortified International Zone in a protest that had paralyzed the country’s government.Ibrahim Al Jaberi, head of the Sadr office in Baghdad, said the cleric had departed for Iran Monday, but provided no other details on his itinerary. His departure came as spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, “expressed Iran’s readiness to use all its links in line with paving the way for Iraqi talks,” according to an official statement carried by Iran’s state-controlled news agency. The cleric’s travel to Iran would provide some indication of how he might turn to Tehran to help resolve the current standoff with the Iraqi government. The Islamic Republic, which provides substantial support to Shiite militia groups who are playing a major role in the fight against Islamic State, already enjoys considerable sway in Iraqi politics. One possibility is that Mr. Sadr hopes to take the Iranians up on their offer to mediate among senior Shiite Iraqi politicians. Though Mr. Sadr is considered by some in Iran’s political establishment as an unpredictable partner, analysts say he’s unlikely to buck the wishes of a key patron. Posted by: Pappy 2016-05-03 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=454527 |