Sistani Ayatollah to the Rescue?(Will Bush thank him at convention?)

[Catt03]

This article describes how Sistani has now become the most influential man in Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40273-2004Aug27.html

By striking an agreement with the rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr and then in effect imposing it on Allawi's government, Sistani enhanced his already considerable political authority at Baghdad's expense. Sistani acted in extremis and to preserve his role as custodian of the shrine. In doing so, he set himself far above Allawi as the arbiter and moral voice of Iraq's destiny.

The ayatollah also rescued Sadr, who does not emerge from this confrontation as a broken force. Sistani treated Sadr as a significant, if totally disruptive and disreputable, figure within the Shiite movement and showed faith in him by accepting his promises to behave.

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Good move....... or not...it plays to the election

[bemildred]

1. As usual, WaPo does not get it.

Al Sadr is the man who got his way, he forced al Sistani's hand,
turned the shrine back over to the religious authority, fought
the puppet regime to a draw, and walked away without making any
concessions AT ALL except the agreement to stop fighting in Najaf
and Kufa. And al Sistani is still not willing to say a word against
him.