83
made Sadr Movement a symbol of resistance against foreign
invasions.
Iran also was aware of the Sadr’s prestige. In spite of
public support the biggest deficiency of Sadr, he did not
have the authority regarding religion. He did not have the
authority to give fatwa. This situation created a big
opportunity for Iran to forge closer ties with Sadr.
The uncle of Muqtada Sadr, the student of Ayatollah
Bekir Sadr and the successor of his father Mohammed Sadr;
Ayatollah Kazım Huseyni al-Haeri who had strong relations
with Revolutionary Guards announced Muqtada es Sadr as
his successor at Iraq at April 7
th
2003. This relationship
between Haeri and Sadr led an important way for Iran to get
influence over the most populist, most nationalist and most
militarist Shia leader of Iraq. Haeri, after his declaration of
Sadr’s as his successor, started to make pressure to Iraqis
Shiites for filling the power gaps at management lines at
cities of Iraq. Following this statement, Muqtada Sadr
gained the management lines of Iraq gradually, especially he
took the control over shanty settlement of Bagdad where
would took the name of Sadr later.
Following those improvements, Sadr was invited to
Tehran for the first time. Iran plant the seeds of a politic,
military and religious Hezbollah-like organization at Iraq.
Sadr’s anti-USA attitude became sharper and
sharper and it led USA search for a Shia leader that USA
could control at the area. At this point, Ayatollah Sistani
attracted the attention with his attitude of Sukut (silence).
The assassination of Ayatollah al-Khoei who let the relations
between USA and Sistani improved increased accusations to
Sadr. Few months later the murder of Khoei, Hamaney
accused USA of the assassination after the death of the
religious and politic leader of council Ayatollah Mohammed
Bakir al-Hakim but as results of the investigations by USA
and Iraq forces, the responsible for the assassination was
declared as the group of Zarqawi; Tevhid ve’l Cihad.
The plans of USA against Sadr came to nothing and
Sadr’s statements against USA became the sharpest.
176
176
A.g.m., http://www.timeturk.com/sadr-ailesi-iran-ile-iliskileri-ve-irak-
siyasetindeki-yeri/haber-142509
84
After the break of the cease fire which was made
with the help of Sistani in 2004, at 2006 and 2007 there was
an outbreak of religion wars.
177
At the spring of 2004, after the shutdown of a
newspaper related to Sadr movement, the army of Mehdi
prompted a revolt at Necef and Kerbela. According to the
news of Es-Sarku’l Evsat print during those revolts Iran,
allegedly, provided financial assistance to Sadr with 80
million dollars. During the conflicts between the army of
Mehdi and USA Iran not only won an ally to weaken its
opponent but also dealt a big blow on furtherance of USA
invasion.
At this time while the conflicts were thought to had
an end, Sadr and the army of Mehdi occupied the
mausoleum of Imam Ali at August. Because of this, Iran
asked Sadr to end the attacks and make a deal at August,
2014. While the intercessors that came to Bagdad from
Tehran for conciliation were preceding their negotiations,
Mohammed Hatemi was criticizing Sadr’s attacks stating
that his actions harmed Shiism and holy places.
Iran that adopted two faces policy was both
destabilizing Iraq by supporting Sadr’s conflicting actions
and was reconciling at negotiations. This situation prompted
USA. In this period Sistani was brought to Iraq from
London where he got treatment
178
and there made a deal for
conflict to come an end between Ali Sistani and Sadr at
Necef; and for making Necef and Kufe an armless city.
179
This process made deferral of Iraq elections that was
planned to occur at January 2005 a current issue. In case of
the deferral of the elections, Sadr was worrying about the
consolidation of USA effect at Iraq.
180
He understood that he
could not achieve his aims with the way of violence he
fronted to street politics as a religious and social
organization taking Hezbollah as an example to leave a
177
Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada Sadr returns to Iraq”, Los Angeles Times, 5
January 2011.
178
Sadr Family: The Relations with Iran the Place at Iraq Politics ",
http://www.timeturk.com/sadr-ailesi-iran-ile-iliskileri-ve-irak-
siyasetindeki-yeri/haber-142509
179
Hürriyet, 27 August 2004
180
Sadr Family: The Relations with Iran the Place at Iraq Politics ",
http://www.timeturk.com/sadr-ailesi-iran-ile-iliskileri-ve-irak-
siyasetindeki-yeri/haber-142509
85
greater impression. On the general elections that took place
at January 30
th
2005; while his opponents High Iraq Islamic
Council and Dava party were gaining 275 seats, Sadr’s party
just gained 32 seats.
181
Sadr took an active role in Nuri Maliki’s assigning
as prime minister while United Iraq Coalition elected as the
party in power was maintaining deliberations for
government. At first Sadr’s party had the place at Maliki’s
coalition government, at 2007 the party withdrew coalition
and went over the opposition side.
182
At the local elections
of 2009 Sadr came as second party after Maliki; following
this success at general elections of 2010 he brought 40 seats
to Iraq National Unity that he was involved in.
183
At 2007, US President George Bush increased the
number of his armed forces at Iraq stating that Shia
excessiveness at Bagdad was treat and Sadr settled to Iran
taking Bush’s statements and continued taking religious
courses to be Ayatollah at city Qom.
184
Sadr, while he was
away at Iran did not lose his effect
185
on poor Shiites and
kept guiding the army of Mehdi from the distance.
According to instructions of Sadr the army of Mehdi
186
that
did not took weapons away at rising violence environment at
2008, because of the firm attitude of Prime Minister Maliki
and with Iran’s peacemaking intentions for cease fire Sadr
decided to end the actions of Mehdi army. Sadr also declared
that the army of Mehdi hosting a special defense unit turned
into a social and cultural organization.
187
The army of Mehdi
that was founded at June 2003 as a reaction of USA invasion
181
Greg Bruno, a.g.m., 16 May 2008.
182
“Moktada al-Sadr Returns to Iraq”, The New York Times, 5
Ocak
2011,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/world/middleeast/06iraq.html
183
Kholoud Ramzi, “Final election results,” Niqash, 25 February 2009,
http://www.niqash.org/en/articles/politics/2395/
184
“Moktada al-Sadr Returns to Iraq”, The New York Times, 5 January
2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/world/middleeast/06iraq.html;
Greg Bruno, a.g.m., 16 May 2008
185
“Profile: Moqtada Sadr”, 19 January 2011,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12135160
186
"Mahdi Army/Mapping Militant Organizations",
web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/.../57
187
“Profile: Moqtada Sadr”, 19 January 2011,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12135160
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