''Intelligence Brief: The Return of Moqtada al-Sadr''

In the last week, the threat posed by Moqtada al-Sadr to the U.S.-led efforts in Iraq resurfaced during a bloody incident that occurred in Baghdad. On September 25, a patrol by U.S. and Iraqi troops in Sadr City in eastern Baghdad ended in violence as the troops engaged in a firefight with militia from al-Sadr's Mehdi Army. At the end of the firefight, more than a handful lay dead. The event serves as a reminder that the threat posed by al-Sadr remains just below the surface.

Al-Sadr's Relevancy

Since the start of the U.S. intervention, al-Sadr posed a problem for U.S. troops. Commanding a militia with thousands of fighters, al-Sadr has a significant amount of negotiating leverage at his disposal. He comes from a very prominent family, and is the son of respected Shi'a cleric Mohamed Sadeq al-Sadr, who was assassinated by Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party in 1999 due to his outspoken criticism of its policies. Al-Sadr's vision of Iraq remains nationalist, leading him to reject all U.S. involvement in the country.