"Secularism is attractive in Iraq."

"The new site Iraqslogger.com has posted a curious seven-minute video of Moktada Al Sadr talking with his advisers. The tape is about two months old, though it's not clear who recorded the tape or why. But the tape is valuable for a couple of reasons. One is that it displays Al Sadr as a lumbering ignoramus. It also offers a critique of the movement from within by an adviser who, in contrast to Al Sadr, appears to be sentient. That adviser believes that the young men who make up most of the movement's following are not particularly religious, and will eventually be attracted to secular alternatives.

The accompanying Iraqslogger story by Nir Rosen includes a good translation of the Arabic exchange. Al Sadr reveals his inability to comprehend even the simplest points. He rambles aimlessly and is often petty, even accusing his deputies of praising a rival. You should check out the video while remembering that the sputtering, inarticulate jackass it features is portrayed in the Western media as a "kingmaker," and "the most powerful man in Iraq.""
IraqiPundit