The way to go in Iraq Jul 19, 2007
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim leads the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC, previously known as SCIRI), which is Iraq's leading Shi'ite party and a critical component of Prime Minister Maliki's coalition ... On August 29, 2003, a suicide bomber, possibly linked to the Ba'athists, blew up his last surviving brother, and predecessor as SCIRI (Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq) leader, at the shrine of Ali in Najaf. (Asia Times Online)
Basra tears itself apart Jul 10, 2007
Fadhila challenges legitimacy of the SIICRealizing the influence of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI, now the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, or SIIC), which was also present in the city council and the police force, Fadhila sought ways to challenge the legitimacy of the rival group ... 3] The accusation was made in a way to discredit the Badr Corps, the SCIRI's militia, which had maintained influence in the city's police force through the Interior Ministry ...... (Asia Times Online)
DiMaggio: NYT "Anti-War" Jul 9, 2007
One could include in this list of actions the following: the US effort to implement the "Salvador Option," training Iraqi "counterinsurgency" death squads to target suspected insurgent sympathizers for torture and assassination, the US training of Iraqi "security forces" to fight against other Iraqis (namely the "insurgency"), US financial support for Iraqi political parties and their respective militias militias which have played a leading role in the sectarian killings since early 2006,... (Zmag.org)
Guide: Armed groups in Iraq Jul 1, 2007
The Badr Brigade - sometimes called the Badr Organisation - is the armed wing of the largest Shia party in Iraq, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (Sciri) in Iraq. Sciri opposed Saddam Hussein from Iran for many years ... Sciri's leader, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, took over from his brother, Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim, after he was assassinated in a bombing in 2003 - which some blame on Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group. (BBC News -- Africa)
Iraq's Key: Strength From Within Jun 29, 2007
The big losers would be the ruling Dawa party, which has little or no remaining support, and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), an Iranian-backed paramilitary party that now calls itself the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq (SICI). Add to those forces the dwindling but still significant influence of secular nonsectarian Iraqis, whose titular leader is Iyad Allawi. (CBS News)
Futile, fraudulent or worse Jun 16, 2007
Individuals such as Chalabi and institutions such as the Sciri political party are briefly but fairly introduced, and there are useful lists of the main players, with a glossary of Arabic terms. There is a fascinating analysis of the enigmatic Ayatollah Sistani, whose views were crudely transposed by the Americans into inappropriate language about "separation of mosque and state". (Guardian Unlimited)
Shiites Rising: Sect leaders craft message for masses Jun 9, 2007
In a bid to shed that reputation for a more nationalist one, SCIRI recently changed its name, dropping the word "revolution" in favor of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). In late May, Mr. Hakim was diagnosed with lung cancer and is in Iran for treatment. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Finger of suspicionWhy the Mehdi Army is suspected of the Baghdad kidnappings Jun 1, 2007
The other major Shia militia, the Badr Organisation, is part of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SCIRI) ... SCIRI has no track record in seizing foreigners, and no particular bone of contention with the British. (BBC News -- Africa)
Leader: Might of the militias May 31, 2007
In Basra, Jaish al-Mahdi, the military wing of the Sadrist movement, is involved in a three-way fight with the Fadilah party which controls the offices of the city governor, and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri) whose power base lies in the centre of the country. Moqtada al-Sadr himself re-emerged from a four-month absence at Friday prayers in Kofa, to call on Sunni Arabs to join forces with his Shia militia to expel the invader. (Guardian Unlimited)
A Shi'ite storm in the making May 31, 2007
Post-Ba'athist Iraqi politics are undergoing a dramatic change, and the Sadrists and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), formerly known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), are leading the way by bringing a major shift in the balance of power ... However, a major split in Shi'ite politics occurred when Hakim formed the SCIRI (al-Majlis al-A'la lil Thawra al-Islamiya fil Iraq) in Tehran on November 17, 1982, with the help of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard... (Asia Times Online)
Iraq's Sadrists follow Hezbollah's path May 26, 2007
Sadiq al-Sadr's swift rise to prominence in the 1990s had unsettled the Iran-based Iraqi opposition that revolved around the Abdul Aziz al-Hakim-led Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI - recently renamed the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq) and the various factions of Hezb al-Da'wa ... Muqtada employed populist rhetoric and vociferously attacked the occupation and "those who benefit from it" (a veiled reference to the former SCIRI and the remnants of the Da'wa party) ...... (Asia Times Online)
Iraqi leadership's failures raise pressure on U.S. May 21, 2007
Meanwhile, the party long known as the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the largest Shiite Muslim faction, has been changing its image to make itself appear more in the mainstream "more presentable," said the U.S. official. In one such sign, the group announced recently that it was dropping the word "revolution" from its name. (Los Angeles Times)
Maliki fluffs his lines May 16, 2007
There is no real difference between a minister from the Sadr camp and one from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) controlling the ministries of Health, Transport and Education ... And worse, the SCIRI, whose leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim heads the UIA, dreams of partition and in creating an autonomous Shi'ite district in the south, similar to Iraqi Kurdistan in the north. (Asia Times Online)
Shi'ite cleric gains sway across border May 14, 2007
The representative of Iraq's most pro-Iran political party, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, touted Iraq's freer system. Majid Ghamas contended in an interview in his Tehran office that Iranians, because of their country's somewhat competitive elections, have more freedom than Saudis, Jordanians, or Egyptians. (Boston Globe)
Top Iraqi Shia party changes name May 13, 2007
The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), part of the governing coalition, will now be known as the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq. Abd al-Aziz Hakim, announced the change at a press conference to confirm his re-election as the party's leader. (BBC News)
'The cultivation of life' May 12, 2007
It means that what Sistani wants is the consolidation of the political power of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), which is led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim ... As far as the security situation at the Shi'ite holy sites is concerned, the SCIRI and its Badr Organization are in charge in Najaf and Karbala. (Asia Times Online)
Bombers kill 26 in attacks on Iraqi bridges May 12, 2007
The changes could also distance the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) from neighbouring Shi'ite Iran, where the party was formed in the 1980s to oppose the late President Saddam Hussein. Underscoring the strain on U.S. forces as the Baghdad buildup nears its peak, one commander said he needed more troops in volatile Diyala province north of the city. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Gratitude and angerIraqis divided over Blair's role in their country's fate May 11, 2007
An MP from the largest Shia party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), takes the opposite view. "We are very grateful to Mr Blair" says Hamid Sa'adi. (BBC News)
Iraq: U.S. fired on school May 9, 2007
Most of the police in the area are linked to the Badr Organization, the armed wing of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, the country's biggest Shia political party. The protesters, joined by members of the area's rival Shia militia, Muqtada al-Sadr's al-Mahdi army, blocked the police and security forces from entering the area, and three responding ambulances were destroyed. (Newsday -- World)
Back to 'Saddam without a mustache' May 9, 2007
But the fact is nobody at the moment - except for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Da'wa Party - seems to be supporting Maliki. Popular perception in Baghdad among educated urban Shi'ites also rules that politicians from Da'wa are generally well educated, but those from SCIRI are mostly appalling. (Asia Times Online)
US raids target Iranian-made weapons May 5, 2007
Clashes broke out yesterday in Baghdad and in the Shi'ite shrine city of Najaf when police said Mahdi Army gunmen attacked offices of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Republic in Iraq, or SCIRI, a key member of the US-backed Iraqi government but with strong ties to Tehran ... The clash in Baghdad occurred when Mahdi gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at a SCIRI office in the Habibiya district, injuring two guards, police said. (Boston Globe -- World)
What Muqtada wants May 4, 2007
Roubaie left implicit that the key religious parties in government, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and Da'wa, are against the timetable ... Once again the criticism of the top government parties, the SCIRI and Da'wa, is implicit ... Abdul Adel Mahdi, the SCIRI's No 2, has been one of the top cheerleaders of the oil law; he has been to Washington to assure Big Oil of the "great opportunities" lying ahead. (Asia Times Online)
Iran to tell forces to leave Iraq May 2, 2007
We have the same level of friendship with [Abdul Aziz] Hakim and Sciri [the Shia Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq] as with Sunni leaders. "Despite facing UN sanctions over its nuclear programme and western political and economic ostracism, Iran's approach to the conference appears to be that the US needs its help more than it needs US approval. Officials here are well aware of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations and subsequent congressional calls for the Bush administration to... (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
President's reasons to invade Iran are weak May 2, 2007
It is dominated by the United Iraqi Alliance, which includes the Supreme Council on Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), whose headquarters are in Iran. It also includes the Dawa Party, whose leadership visited Tehran in January 2006, and whose military engaged the U.S. Marines for three weeks at Najaf, in November 2004. (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
Letters Apr 27, 2007
" The role the PRC [People's Republic of China] played in Sudan is controversial at best and "amoral" at worst, but for a citizen of a country which recently invaded two sovereign nations, resulting in (directly and indirectly) bloodshed [and] the demise of tens and thousands of people to point fingers at other countries is utterly pathetic. When was the last time the US dealt with other countries in a democratic and respectful manner? And the US is not interested in growing and maintaining its... (Asia Times Online)
Confronting Hezbollah Apr 26, 2007
More to the point, we should keep in mind that Hezbollah was founded according to a fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeini that was contemporaneous to the fatwa that created the "Superior Council for the Islamic Republic of Iraq" (SCIRI) and its associated military body, the Badr brigades. The first leader assigned to rule the SCIRI is at present the head of the Iranian judiciary, showing to what extent this organisation makes part of the Iranian fanatic network ... SCIRI got control of most of Iraq... (FrontPage Magazine)
Shi'ite power struggle escalates Apr 26, 2007
Since the rise of Muqtada's popularity in Diwaniya after the 2005 elections, the Sadrists are demanding more power in a city that is largely dominated by rival groups, namely the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and local tribal forces ... The call was also, however, aimed at increasing his legitimacy among Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shi'ites, in opposition to any form of sectarianism, mainly led by some Sunni insurgents and, especially, the militia of the SCIRI, the Badr... (Asia Times Online)
Baghdad: Shiite convoy ambushed Apr 22, 2007
Six security guards were wounded Thursday night when gunmen ambushed the convoy of a top Shiite leader's son, said Haytham al-Hussaini, a spokesman for the office of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI. ... SCIRI, one of the most powerful political parties in Iraq, is part of the Shiite-led ruling coalition called the United Iraqi Alliance. (CNN -- World)
Iraq violence resurges amid 'surge' Apr 21, 2007
Southern Iraq, especially oil-rich Basra province, has also become increasingly violent as a result of an intra-Shi'ite conflict between Sadr's forces and their rivals, particularly the Badr Brigade of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and another armed party, Fadhila. The violence there not only threatens to further weaken the Maliki government and the Shi'ite coalition on which it is based, but could, if it deteriorates further, threaten key oil-export... (Asia Times Online)
Shia leader attacked in Iraq Apr 21, 2007
Al-Hakim's spokesperson said: "The convoy was attacked because it was an official-looking convoy, it was not targeting Ammar al-Hakim personally." Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the biggest Shia party in government. Ammar al-Hakim also holds positions in SCIRI.. (Aljazeera.Net)
CORRECTED - Gunmen attack convoy of Iraqi Shi'ite leader's son Apr 20, 2007
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim is leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the biggest party in Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national unity cabinet. Ammar al-Hakim also holds positions in SCIRI.. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
British hand over province to Iraqi control Apr 19, 2007
Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr and his Al Mahdi militia are rushing to fill the power vacuum, residents said, leading on at least one occasion to intense fighting with local police, whose upper echelons are dominated by the rival Shiite Badr Organization and its allied political party, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI.. "Our problem is that the militias are ruling," said Ali Hassan, a civil servant in the provincial capital, Amarah, who asked that his... (Los Angeles Times)
Iraq's Shiite political fissures widen Apr 18, 2007
And for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) led by the influential Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, it's purging all remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime. Adding further complications is Iran's suspected support for both politics and violence, the role of the powerful tribes in this struggle especially in the south, and the emergence of well-armed Shiite splinter groups, some of which thrive on extortion and protection money. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
The nightmare Bush dreads most Apr 17, 2007
His faction allied with two other Shi'ite religious parties - the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and al-Da'awa al-Islamiya (the Islamic Call) - to form the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). By so doing, in the face of American hostility, Muqtada gave protective political cover to his faction and its armed wing, the Mehdi Army. (Asia Times Online)
The Baghdad gulag Apr 14, 2007
Unlike throngs of SCIRI (Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq), Da'wa Party and Kurdish parlamentarians who prefer to watch Chelsea soccer matches in London drinking vintage scotch, Sadrists actually go to work every day in the Green Zone. If the Sadrists and the Islamic Virtue Party representatives actually decided to boycott it, along with the hardcore Sunni members of the Iraqi Accord Front, this Parliament would be no more. (Asia Times Online)
Ireland: Iraq Gays Apr 11, 2007
The 78-year-old Ayatollah Sistani, the Iranian born-and educated cleric who is the spiritual leader of all Iraqi Shia Muslims, issued an infamous fatwa calling for death for all gays and all lesbians in "the most severe way possible" in October 2005, inspiring the deployment of anti-gay death squads by the Badr Corps, military arm of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the most powerful political Shia group in Iraq and now the cornerstone of the current Iraqi... (Zmag.org)
Shi'ite power bloc in Iraq takes shape Apr 4, 2007
Despite a period of tension with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Badr Organization, the largest Shi'ite militia that backed Sistani, Muqtada finally joined forces with a Shi'ite-led political party approved by Sistani, the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), in the December 2005 elections. The move advanced a new stage in Muqtada-Sistani relations, which underlined how the two clerics saw the importance of a centralized democratic government as a way to solidify... (Asia Times Online)
Iraq needs a strongman. Allawi is waiting Apr 3, 2007
Not only has Maliki's era given the Americans a bad name, he has repeatedly backed out on his promises, and refused to disarm the militias, either because they were allied to him (as is the case with the Mehdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr) or to Iran (such as the Badr Brigade of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, SCIRI). An Iraq with Shi'ite militias is safer as far as Maliki is concerned than an Iraq with no Shi'ite militias and only Sunni ones. (Asia Times Online)
Militiamen return to Sadr City Mar 30, 2007
Sadr City, a sprawling low-income area in northern Baghdad, is the home of Sheik al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia, the Badr Brigade armed wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, followers of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, several smaller armed Shi'ite factions and criminal gangs. A new element appears to be entering the territory: an extreme Mahdi Army splinter group that broke off from Sheik al-Sadr, went to Iran for training and started to return, said one Iraqi with... (Washington Times)
US envoy warns Iraqis Mar 27, 2007
Adnan al-Radam, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which leads the ruling Shia alliance, said the incoming ambassador, Ryan Crocker, was a Christian, "whom one would expect to be more neutral". Full coverage. (Guardian Unlimited)
Iraq's good terrorists, bad terrorists Mar 27, 2007
One front is headed by Muqtada's Mehdi Army, the other by the Badr Organization, the armed wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) ... The Mehdi Army is also at blows with the Fadila Party, a smaller Shi'ite party that recently split from the ruling United Iraqi Alliance that is headed by the SCIRI. Last Thursday, Sadrists in Basra stormed the Fadila Party headquarters, then invaded the Fadila-led Electricity Office, expelling its officials and arresting its... (Asia Times Online)
Iran sanctions draw cool reaction Mar 27, 2007
However, Al-Furat TV, which is affiliated with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), noted that Iran was "quick to reject" the new UN resolution. "It seems that the tug of war between the UN Security Council and the Islamic Republic [of Iran] will escalate," the report went on. (BBC News -- Africa)
Man with al-Sadr ties held in attack Mar 24, 2007
Al-Sadr's movement and the more established SCIRI have been rivals for political influence in Iraq's Shiite regions. The U.N. children's agency said an operation designed to supply clean water to Iraqis needs major financial replenishment. (CNN -- World)
CLAUDE SALHANI: Iran training Iraqi death squads? Mar 23, 2007
According to information obtained by the MeK, since February 2006 Iraqi militias affiliated with the Quds Force, such as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq -- SCIRI -- the Badr Corps, Hezbollah, Islamic Revolution Mujahideen, and Seyyed-ol-Shohada Movement have traveled to Iran in groups and are trained in various camps of the Quds Force ... Several groups from SCIRI traveled from Sadr City near Baghdad to train in October 2006, according to Mr. Jafarzadeh. (Washington Times)
U.N. Secretary-General Visits Baghdad Mar 22, 2007
His Mahdi Army has in the past clashed with gunmen loyal to SCIRI, the senior partner in al-Maliki's governing coalition, and other Shiite groups. Also in Basra, police said gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead a postgraduate female student at Basra University, Tuhfa Jaafar al-Bachay, at 9 pm Wednesday outside her home. (CBS News -- World)
Iraq neighbours: the stakes Mar 21, 2007
Iran's fellow religionists, Shia Muslims, dominate the current government of Iraq with the Sciri party, which has close links to Iran, playing a leading role. Iran is accused of supporting Shia militias in Iraq. (BBC News)
Zunes: Iraq & Democracy Mar 20, 2007
The victorious United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which won 140 seats in the 275-seat parliament, consisted of 22 parties, dominated by Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Islamic Dawa Party. The Islamic Republic of Iran supported both of these parties while they operated in exile and underground during Saddam Hussein's regime. (Zmag.org)
Hill Hearing: Lights Out on Valerie Plame? Mar 15, 2007
Posted By: Sciri Facias Dude, the special prosecutor has said no law was broken with respect to her name being revealed. Step away from the bong. (The Drudge Report)
Why 'soft partition' of Iraq won't work Mar 12, 2007
The constitutional language on federalism and revenue sharing, in particular, reflected a backroom deal between the Kurdish alliance and only one of the Shiite parties, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Republic in Iraq (SCIRI), which reached the final compromise at the exclusion of all other parties and Iraqi society. There is no question that the Kurds desire independence, and they can make a strong case that they are entitled to it. (Christian Science Monitor)
A Challenge to Maliki in Iraq Mar 9, 2007
That's not enough to bring Maliki down, but analysts say Allawi is hoping to drive a wedge between the Shi'a coalition's main groups: Moqtada al-Sadr's faction, Maliki's Dawa Party and the Iran-backed Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). (Allawi turned down TIME's requests for an interview. (Time.com)
Shia-Sunni Divide: Myths and Reality Mar 8, 2007
The model that is being adopted, though, is the one furnished by Hizbullah and not that of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution. Its arch enemies are the Israeli occupation and US hegemony rather than co-religionists. (Ocnus.net)
Police: 30 die in cafe suicide blast Mar 8, 2007
Call for more securityThe head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, condemned the Hillah bombings and called for more government security during the holiday. We call on the security services of the central government and the local authorities. (MSNBC -- International)
Is Big Oil Going to Control Iraqs Reserves? Mar 7, 2007
"Emir al-Hakim [head of SCIRI] is spending all his time in Basra selling oil as if it were his own. People there call him Uday al-Hakim, meaning he is behaving the same way Uday Saddam Hussein was acting. Other merchants like myself have to work through him with the big deals or smuggle small quantities on our own. The petroleum is now divided among political parties in power.". Given the level of violence in Iraq, it is amazing that any oil gets produced and exported. (Ocnus.net)
Bombers kill scores of Shiite pilgrims Mar 7, 2007
Hakim commands the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and also heads the Shiite coalition that has dominated politics in post-invasion Iraq. "They are trying to pretend they are resisting the occupation, when what they are doing is targeting the easy targets.". (International Herald Tribune)
Stevens: Women in Iraq Mar 7, 2007
Those warnings proved accurate, when two Shiite Islamist political parties--the Dawa Party and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq--rose to power militarily and politically ... These groups--the Badr Brigade, the military arm of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution, and the Mahdi army, belonging to a political group led by the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr--are "notorious" for attacks on women, Susskind writes. (Zmag.org)
New York Times Feb 28, 2007
In another car bombing, at least three people were killed and nine wounded in Baghdad near the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the powerful Shiite party Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Interior Ministry said. On Friday, American forces detained and then released Mr. Hakims eldest son, Amar, after he crossed the border from Iran back into Iraq. (Harper's Magazine)
New Iraq Strategy: Encouraging NewsEarly indications suggest that the "surge" may be working Feb 28, 2007
The most significant raid was the one on Buratha mosque, one of the most important Shia mosques in Baghdad which is also considered SCIRI (Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq) territory. The raid ended without blood but the preacher of the mosque; expressed his dismay about the raid because it was American soldiers who searched the mosque -- one of the changes in rules of engagement. (Human Events Online)
Roundup of Violence in Iraq -- Feb. 26, 2007 Feb 27, 2007
-- The Iraqi vice president Adil Abdul Mahdi (the Shiite vice from SCIRI) survived today an assassination attempt targeted him while he was inside the building of the labors and municipalities in Al Mansour neighborhood in western Baghdad. The explosion which was implemented by an IED took place near the door of the meeting room where Abdul Mahdi was meeting with the minister of municipalities Reyadh Ghareeb. (San Jose Mercury News)
US's Iraq oil grab is a done deal Feb 27, 2007
He's a top official of the Shi'ite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SCIRI). A whole case can be made of SCIRI delivering Iraq's Holy Grail to Bush/Cheney and Big Oil - in exchange for not being chased out of power by the Pentagon ... Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the SCIRI's leader, is much more of a Bush ally than Maliki, who is from the Da'wa Party. (Asia Times Online)
INTEL ERRORS Feb 26, 2007
February 26, 2007 -- LAST week, American troops checking traffic from Iran detained Amar al-Hakim, a cleric and the son of the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) - the key Shia political organization we're counting on ... SCIRI certainly has some dark connections with Iran. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Truck bomb kills 36 at Iraqi mosque Feb 25, 2007
In another car bombing, at least three people were killed and nine wounded in a bombing in Baghdad near the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the powerful Shiite party Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Interior Ministry said. On Friday, American forces detained and then released Hakim's eldest son, Amar, after he crossed the border from Iran back into Iraq. (International Herald Tribune)
Hundreds protest detention of Iraqi Shiite leader's son (1st Lead) Feb 25, 2007
Demonstrators gathered in front of the offices of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SCIRI) in Hillah, some 100 kilometres north of Baghdad, and held signs condemning the US action ... Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim is the leader of SCIRI, Iraq's largest political group ... It also maintains very close ties to Iran, which hosted the elder al-Hakim and other SCIRI officials before the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Monsters and Critics.com)
Bomb at Iraqi Mosque Kills 36 After Sunni Imam Condemns Militants Feb 25, 2007
In another car bombing, at least three people were killed and nine wounded in Baghdad near the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the powerful Shiite party Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Interior Ministry said. On Friday, American forces detained and then released Mr. Hakim;s eldest son, Amar, after he crossed the border from Iran back into Iraq. (The Ledger)
U.S. Seizes Son of a Top Shiite, Stirring Uproar Feb 25, 2007
The Hakims control the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the backbone of the Shiite political alliance that has dominated politics during the occupation ... One Shiite coalition that objects to the plan is the bloc allied with Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shiite cleric who controls the Mahdi Army militia and whose political movement is the only one within the Shiite alliance whose power rivals that of Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or Sciri. (Foster's Daily Democrat)
Shiite fury over son's treatment by US soldiers Feb 25, 2007
Abdelaziz Hakim is the leader of the largest Shiite voting bloc in the Iraqi parliament, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI. He met the US President, George Bush, in Washington in December and pledged to help stem the tide of violence in Iraq. The elder Mr Hakim was an opponent of Saddam and spent much of the 1980s in exile in Iran as a commander of the Badr Brigade. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
