Has Sadr lost the Iraqi street?
Iraqi populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, after playing to the hopes and grievances of everyday Iraqis, may be losing some of his following as he plays for advantage among Iraq's political factions.
BAGHDAD — Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s sudden change of heart regarding the popular protests right before the appointment of Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister has caused his longtime alliance with the largely secular civil current to face a moment of truth. The mutual interests of the two sides appear to have hit a wall, with the protest movement demanding more radical change than the man once referred to as a "radical cleric" is willing to bear.
Sadr ordered his followers to withdraw from the protest squares Jan. 25 after demonstrators in Tahrir Square did not participate in a demonstration he called for that demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the country.
