Muqtada al-Sadr. (photo: Getty Images)
Al-Sadr: Russia, America and al-Assad Should All Get out of Syria!
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment
09 April 17
Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday issued a broadside demanding
that Russia and the United States withdraw from Syria and that strongman
Bashar al-Assad resign as president.
Al-Sadr's stand against al-Assad is unusual among Shiite movements. The
Lebanese Shiite militia, Hizbullah, has entered Syria to battle for
al-Assad's survival. Iran is also strongly backing him. Other Iraqi Shiite
militias, such as the League of the Righteous, have sent units to support
the al-Assad regime, for instance in the battle for Aleppo. Contrary to what
some allege, the Twelver Shiite groups are not very likely to be supporting
al-Assad because he has an Alawite Shiite heritage. Alawites are not
considered orthodox Muslims by the Twelver Shiites. Rather, there are two
reasons for their support. Hizbullah and Iran need Syria to be in friendly
hands if Iran is to continue to resupply Hizbullah with munitions for
defense of South Lebanon from Israel. Second, al-Assad has configured
himself as fighting a wave of Sunni extremism that threatens both
secularists and the region's Shiites.
Al-Sadr, who has long been considered quirky by other Iraqi leaders, began
by calling on US President Donald J. Trump to stop going to excess in taking
frivolous and thoughtless positions and decisions. He said Trump's flakiness
not only damages the US but also the world community. He warned that a heavy
US intervention in Syria could turn into a Vietnam-style quagmire for
Washington. Nor did al-Sadr see how Trump could bombard civilians to death
in Mosul and then turn around and condemn the Syrian government for its
killing of civilians (admittedly by horrific gas).
He also doubted that the US could accomplish anything positive in Syria.
After all, he said, the Americans announced that they would help roll up
ISIL in Iraq years ago, but ISIL is still there.
Al-Sadr asked, "Wasn't enough for Syria that all sorts of internal and
external actors were interfering in the country, such that the US should now
initiate a negative role there, as well? The only one harmed by that," he
said, "is the Syrian people."
Al-Sadr added, "I wouldn't rule out that Trump's decision to strike Syria
will permit Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) to spread into other areas." If the US wants
to play the role of peacemaker and promoter of dialogue in conflict
situations, he said, it can't put off limits an honest broker role in
Palestine, Burma, Bahrain, and so forth, where it sides heavily with one
side against another.
Al-Sadr called on all parties to withdraw militarily from Syria and for the
Syrian people to take charge, since it is the only legitimate actor that can
determine its own destiny. Otherwise, only terrorism and occupation will
benefit.
He specifically said Russia should also leave.
Al-Sadr went on to say "I find it fair that President Bashar al-Assad should
tender his resignation and step down from power out of love for beloved
Syria, so as to spare it the horrors of war and its domination by
terrorists. He should give the reins of power to some popular and effective
individuals who can stand against terrorism, so as to save Syrian territory
as quickly as possible, so that his action can be lauded as historic and
heroic, before it is too late."
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