Iraq: Al-Sadr Navigates Through a Shiite Division

Radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr called for calm Aug. 25, a day after clashes between members of his movement's military wing and those from a pro-government Shiite militia left seven people dead and at least a dozen others wounded. Al-Sadr likely tried to gauge the position of his group within the Shiite political landscape, and after attaining his objective he quickly moved to defuse the situation. The clash not only shows that al-Sadr will be a player in the long run, it also shows a potential fault line within the Shiite community.