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Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs

Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs: "The Izzat Douri branch of Ba'ath announced that it is 'more than willing to work with Allawi, because we see him as a nationalist and Iraqi patriot, and not a sectarian figure'. Although its members do not agree with all that he did when serving as prime minister in 2004, 'we have no doubt that he would represent the interests of Iraq, not of Shi'ites, or Sunnis, or any other group', a clear reference to Maliki. More than ever before, Muqtada is proving to be a pragmatic politician who has surpassed all expectations. Who is the mastermind behind his political scheming, however, is unclear, since Muqtada clearly could not formulate strategy and take political initiatives of the sort he is doing without the advice of seasoned statesmen. When he rose to fame in 2004, many speculated that he was a temporary star, a radical cleric wanna-be who would never become a serious player in Iraqi politics. Neither his age (in this 30s) nor his religious credentials, experience or alliances were enough to make him a national leader. "

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