[TexKat]

The media never reported what happened during the August standoff. With Sistani out of the country and on his death bed Allawi saw it as his chance to bring Sadr up on the murder charges that were still against him for killing a cleric in 2003. Some forces got into a firefight near Sadr's compound. He then fled with his militia to Najaf hoping the fact he was in the most holy site of Shia Islam would give him leverage and keep US and Iraqi troops from attacking.

Al-Sistani — who had been in London undergoing medical treatment — has refused to get involved in previous crises and has stayed above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government.

He holds the loyalty of a far broader swath of Iraq's Shiite majority than al-Sadr. Al-Sadr's fiery anti-U.S. message has drawn many poorer, disillusioned Shiites but is seen by other Shiites as too radical.

Al-Sadr's followers have set up their own religious courts and arrested hundreds of people on charges including selling alcohol and music deemed immoral.

Al-Sistani's 30-vehicle convoy drove 220 miles from the southern city of Basra to Najaf, joined by at least a thousand cars from towns along the way, where supporters on the street cheered al-Sistani.

A close al-Sadr aide said the militants would listen to al-Sistani's peace plan. "We will listen to him and we hope to see the government listen to him as well," said Yusif al-Nasiri. "They should listen and obey what he is going to say."

Al-Sadr's aides had backed al-Sistani's call for a march on Najaf and urged their followers to join in.

Iraqi Gov't Accepts Najaf Peace Deal - FOXNEWS

[jmc1969]

"Al-Sistani — who had been in London undergoing medical treatment — has refused to get involved in previous crises and has stayed above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government."

I believe that. Not.

TexKat, you won't find the history of the Iraq War written in articles of what Iraqi politicians and religious leaders tell reporters. If one did they would believe Sadr is disarming his militia today. The reality of Iraqi politics is mostly cloak and dagger and never reaches the AP or the NY Times.

Most Iraqis saw this as much a power struggle between Sistani and Sadr as it was a battle between Allawi and Sadr.

By leaving the country and publically supporting neither side early on he was sending a message to Allawi to take him out and he wouldn't stand in his way. But, later Sistani feared what would happen if the most holy site in Shia Islam was destoryed so he stopped the fight.