Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr enters Baghdad’s Green Zone
Euronews

BAGHDAD -- Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has entered Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, beginning a sit-in to call for government reform.

On February 13, Sadr gave Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi 45 days to tackle corruption and form a technocratic government.

Abadi is struggling to convince leaders from his political bloc to resign from their positions.

Thousands of Sadr’s supporters have been protesting at the gates of the Zone for more than a week.

Speaking ahead of entering the district, he encouraged the demonstrators to rally peacefully and remain outside the walls of the district:
“I say to you that I am the representative of the people. I represent you dear beloved protesters, I and only those who are with me, will enter the Green Zone. I will (stage a) sit-in inside the Green Zone and you sit at its gates. You should not move.”

He walked in peacefully and unopposed by the armed forces guarding the Zone, which houses the prime minister’s office, parliament and the US embassy – the largest in the world.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-28

al - Sadr staging a sit in.

His Mahdi army protesting at the gates.

This is about to get really interesting.

Some interesting insight into what's motivating him:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/reasons-muqtada-al-sadr-return-isis-160301065727884.html

First is a Shia power struggle. In recent weeks, Shia factions have been bickering over competing claims and ambitions to run the government. The row grew out of the reforms that Abadi has pledged to carry out in response to widespread protests that have taken place since August against rampant government corruption and poor services and in favour of calls for change.

.......

The surge of dozens of Shia militias following the advances of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in summer 2014 has made Sadr felt threatened by the muscle-bound rivals who have entered the ring.

Edited March 31, 201610 yr by Scott
Edited for Fair Use

As Dick Cheney told us in 1994, if you take over Iraq you will destabilize the whole of that region. Hands up anyone who cannot remember who it was did exactly that.

Some interesting insight into what's motivating him:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/reasons-muqtada-al-sadr-return-isis-160301065727884.html

First is a Shia power struggle. In recent weeks, Shia factions have been bickering over competing claims and ambitions to run the government. The row grew out of the reforms that Abadi has pledged to carry out in response to widespread protests that have taken place since August against rampant government corruption and poor services and in favour of calls for change.

.......

The surge of dozens of Shia militias following the advances of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in summer 2014 has made Sadr felt threatened by the muscle-bound rivals who have entered the ring.

While this is probably a good insight for recent motivation.

His real ire over Government goes back to around 2005. Which is why it is rather amusing to read that he is now crusading against corruption.

Key words and phrases.

Ministry of Interior.

Backdoor deal with Maliki.

Broken promises.

He has an army of at least 100,000 with some estimates as high as 200,000. It is clear that this man could do some serious damage should he choose to do so.

Edited March 31, 201610 yr by Scott

Remind me again: Is he a friend or an enemy of the US this week?

Remind me again: Is he a friend or an enemy of the US this week?

It all depends...... That is the answer. We can sort out the details later,and change them as necessary.