The Mercury News August 30, 2005
WHO IS MUQTADA AL-SADR?
A glance at the Shiite nationalist cleric leader.
FOLLOWERS: The militia wing of his movement is known as the Mahdi Army and was estimated as of early 2004 to consist of about 500 to 1,000 trained combatants along with an additional 5,000 to 6,000 active participants. Another Department of Defense estimate, as of April 2004, suggested 3,000 lightly armed men.
WHERE: Sadr is based in the city of An-Najaf.
RELIGION: Shiite Islam
FAMILY: Sadr, thought to be 30 years old, is the son of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, who was killed in 1999 by agents who were presumed to be working for Saddam Hussein, thus becoming one of the major symbols of Shiite resistance to the former leadership.
STANCE: The leader of the Sadriyun Movement, he says that U.S. troops should leave Iraq immediately and that Iraqis should have the opportunity to create an Islamic state if they choose.
THREATS: On July 18, 2003, Sadr called members of Iraq's new U.S.-appointed Governing Council ``puppets.'' He threatened to form an Islamic state in Iraq by establishing a shadow government, complete with ministries.
Source: GlobalSecurity.org
© Copyright 2005, The Mercury News
