The political movement of Iraq's best-known anti-American cleric has emerged as a major contender in next month's national elections, raising the possibility that the next prime minister could be openly hostile to the U.S. and friendly toward Iran.
A prime minister loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr might push the U.S. military to speed up its withdrawal timetable and pose a threat to future military and economic cooperation between the United States and Iraq.
Such a choice also could undermine efforts to reconcile Iraq's religious groups, with memories still fresh of brutal sectarian warfare between al-Sadr's Shiite militiamen and Sunni extremists. |