Moktada vs. Moktada

"As if one Moktada Al Sadr were not already too many, we now have two of them. One of them is on display in a recent "interview" in Newsweek, which I'll get to in a moment. First, though, let me describe these two Moktadas, so that this "interview" will make more sense.

The first Moktada is the one we have come to know through the Western media. That Moktada is the radical young Shiite cleric who lately emerged as the "kingmaker" of Iraq's new leadership class, because of his great political savvy. In his role as the
leader of a powerful militia, he is the defender of authentic Shiite nationalism. True to his great stature, this articulate fellow takes statesmanlike positions on the day's pressing issues, and - - if he has time left over - - deigns to grant
interviews to prominent journals. He enjoys the esteem and support of eminent American scholars with widely read blogs, and is altogether a visionary, a patriot, and a splendid fellow.

The other Moktada, the one known mostly to Shiite Iraqis, is a half-wit and a loser. He is certainly not a cleric, since he found his religious studies overwhelming, and abandoned them. On the other hand, he is almost certainly a cold-blooded murderer. His viciousness is matched only by his ignorance and his mumbling incoherence. His significance may be measured entirely by a following of thugs who are as vicious and stupid as he is. He is an impediment to the emergence of a decent and stable Iraq. "
IraqiPundit