The
Economist reports that Muqtada al-Sadr is the son of one of the leaders of the 1991 Shi'ite uprising, brutally crushed by Saddam after the US abandoned them. This makes me wonder: is the current uprising the same mass popular movement as in 1991?
Its geographic spread would seem to indicate that it is, but
surveys show that only 10 percent of Shi'ites and 30 percent of Sunnis approve of attacks on US soldiers.
If the uprising really does represent the Shi'ite masses, it is even more discouraging. Muqtada al-Sadr is hardly the best person to lead Iraq. He has called for Iranian-style theocracy, mandatory veiling of women, and bans on alcohol. Were he to come to power, he would be little better than Saddam was, maybe worse.