Posted by: Eric on April 30, 19103 at 09:00:33

Scott, any commentary on the following excerpt from Friedman's column today? Does he get this right?

-E

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Most Iraqi Shiite spiritual leaders in Najaf have long opposed Khomeini's notion that Shiite clerics should be in power. They think this has corrupted the clergy in Iran, angered the people and driven young Shiites away from their religion. You've now set off a fight for control of Najaf, between those Iraqi Shiite leaders who believe in the separation between mosque and state, and the pro-Iranian clerics who want to run Iraq Khomeini-style. That's why the Iranians are so concerned about what's happening here. They know if Najaf re-emerges as the center of Shiism — and if it's dominated by Iraqi ayatollahs who don't believe that the clergy should be in politics — the claim of the Iranian clergy to remain in power will be weakened.

This is the most important power struggle in the Middle East today. For now, the Iraqi Shiite clergy in Najaf are weak. They don't have many senior clerics. I kept it that way. But you can't just install your own Iraqi Shiite leaders. They will have to emerge on their own. You need to create the conditions in Najaf whereby students can come back and the natural Iraqi-Arab Shiite traditions can flower again to counter the Iranians.

Read the Follow Ups: Friedman had it half-right.... escott 23:49:37 5/11/103 (0)

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