Bush Admin Considering Alliance With Militant Shiite Cleric In Attempt To Isolate Rival Al-Sadr...

Washington Post Sudarsan Raghavan December 21, 2006 12:10 AM

In the quest to create a new Iraq, two powerful clerics compete for domination, one from within the government, the other from its shadows.

Both wear the black turban signifying their descent from the prophet Muhammad. They have fought each other since the days their fathers vied to lead Iraq's majority Shiites. They hold no official positions, but their parties each control 30 seats in the parliament. And they both lead militias that are widely alleged to run death squads.

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