Le Figaro: What mysterious game does Muqtada Al-Sadr play?

He answered the call of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, to leave tens of thousands on Friday to go to the streets of Baghdad, demanding the departure of more than five thousand American soldiers from the country and raising slogans such as "Let the occupier leave" and "Yes to national sovereignty."

The writer, George Malbrino, said in a report published by the French newspaper "Le Figaro", that this demonstration comes three weeks after America killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Authority near Baghdad airport.

He pointed to the participation of many of Sadr's supporters four months ago in Baghdad, as well as in the southern provinces of the country, in the protests demanding political and economic reforms and fighting corruption.

The writer quoted the researcher at the Carnegie Middle East Center, Harith Hassan, commenting on this, that "Sadr is working to present himself as a reformed leader on the one hand, and seeks to preserve his image as a symbol of resistance to the American occupation on the other hand ...".

Three weeks ago, Sadr ordered the return of the Mahdi Army militia, which fought against American soldiers between 2003 and 2011.

On January 3, the killing of Soleimani, by direct order from Trump, contributed to reshuffling the cards again in Baghdad, as this forced the protesters to reduce their demands to change the Iraqi regime in order to avoid accusing them of subordination to the United States.

However, this did not discourage some young people from condemning the repression of the Shiite militias loyal to Iran, which left 12 demonstrators killed in recent days. For his part, Sadr is trying to unite the Iraqi factions to stand with him against the American presence in Iraq.

During the past week, Sadr met in the Iranian city of Qom, the Iraqi faction leaders, and according to an Iraqi expert - who did not reveal his name - "This meeting hides behind the intention of Sadr and the rest of the Shiite militias to establish a unified center to lead operations against the American presence."

Loyal factions
The writer mentioned that the most prominent questions posed after Soleimani's death are summarized in the position of the pro-Iranian factions, and will these militias enter a guerrilla war to expel American forces?

Or did she receive instructions from Tehran to wait, as part of the Iranian wait-and-see strategy for the remaining months before the start of the election campaign in the United States?

For his part, an Iranian official said, "Our interest now is not to turn Iraq into a battlefield with the United States."

The role of the chest
The writer considered that Muqtada al-Sadr plays the role of the Iranian soft power in Baghdad, but the volatility of his views did not satisfy his supporters who are hostile to Iranian interference.

Sadr supporters also denounce the participation of their leader in a regime they want to overthrow, especially since Sadr has many allies within the current system, including ministers, and also enjoys the strongest parliamentary bloc, which gives him the majority to name the next prime minister, but in agreement with the Iranians.