Sadar RE-Surfaces Again

Moqtada Sadr received by President Assad
20 July 2009 13:34 ESTERS

DAMASCUS - The Iraqi Shiite radical leader Moqtada Sadr and 'have received today in Damascus by Syrian President, Bashar al Assad. Sadr would arrive this morning in the Syrian capital by Iran. The agency reported quoting a Nina's press release of the movement sadrista. The news is not 'yet been confirmed by the official Syrian sources.

Automatical translation from Il Corriere





Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr arrives in Syria
Posted : Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:23:44 GMT
Author : DPA


Damascus - Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr arrived in Damascus on Monday, a source in the Sadrist movement's office in the Syrian capital told the German Press Agency dpa. The cleric, who has a broad following among poor Iraqi Shiite Muslims, was expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday afternoon, the source said, requesting anonymity.

In his talks with senior Syrian officials, al-Sadr would discuss Syrian-Iraqi relations and "the situation in Iraq after the withdrawal of US soldiers from Iraqi cities" at the end of June, the Sadrist spokesman said.

During his last visit to Damascus, in February 2006, al-Sadr urged Sunni and Shiite Muslims to set aside their differences to counter "the Western offensive against Islam and the Middle East."

"The occupation is what is causing instability in Iraq," he said in remarks widely carried by the press at the time. "The exit of the occupier will be a victory for Iraq, and not, as it is said, a victory for the terrorists."

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/278207,iraqi-cleric-moqtada-al-sadr-arrives-in-syria.html

al-Sadar encourages xenophobic ideas – not only against Jews and Christians, but also against non-Shiite Muslims.

He appears to have inherited an extensive financial reserve from his father, including schools, religious centers and welfare centers.

"In addition, he gave people hope about the coming of the mahdi. He even calls his militia the 'mahdi army'.