Top Shiite Cleric Is Said to Favor a Coalition for Iraq

Nouri al-Maliki, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, Moqtada al-Sadr,
Harith al-Dhari and Massoud Barzani

BAGHDAD, Dec. 19 —Iraq’s most venerated Shiite cleric has tentatively approved an American-backed coalition of Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties that aims to isolate extremists, particularly the powerful Shiite militia leader Moktada al-Sadr, Iraqi and Western officials say.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein the cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has been the spiritual custodian of Shiite political dominance in Iraq, corralling the fractious Shiite parties into an alliance to rule the country.

But Ayatollah Sistani has grown increasingly distressed as the Shiite-led government has proved incapable of taming the violence and improving public services, Shiite officials say. He now appears to be backing away from his demand that the Shiite bloc play the dominant political role and that it hold together at all costs, Iraqi and Western officials say.

As the effective arbiter of a Shiite role in the planned coalition, the ayatollah is considered critical to the Iraqi and American effort.

Read the rest at the NY Times

Related Link:
Iraqi government reshuffle leaves critics dissatisfied

Related Link:
White House: Maliki promises to target insurgents

Related Link:
Maliki reaches out to members of Saddam's army at reconciliation conference

Related Link:
Sources: Iraqi PM Weighs Political Realignment

Related Link:
Hashemi: US must reform Iraqi forces before leaving

Related Link:
Report: Maliki presented Bush with plan for Iraq takeover of Baghdad security

Related Link:
Analysis: Laying the Groundwork for a "Cabinet Reshuffle" in Iraq

Related Link:
Iraqi group seeks power shift

Related Link:
Iraq VP al-Hashemi criticizes Maliki government ahead of Bush meeting

Related Link:
Report: Maliki invited to join U.S.-backed anti-Sadr coalition

Related Link:
White House denies move to oust al-Maliki

Related Link:
Plans Under Way to Replace Iraq PM

Related Link:
Bush set to meet Iraqi Shiite leader with ties to Iran