OpEdNews - Diary: Understanding Muqtada al-Sadr: Pepe Escobar Interview w/Patrick Cockburn Continues

Pepe Escobar continues his interview with Patrick Cockburn, author of the seminal book Muqtada, referring to Muqtada al-Sadr, one of the key players in Iraq, adamantly anti-occupation, strongly nationalist and anti the partitioning of Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions.

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First broadcast on the Real News Network on Thursday April 24th, 2008.

For the Real News larger screen version, click here.

Cockburn talks to The Real News Analyst Pepe Escobar about the disconnect between the reality of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's resistance to the US occupation and the picture being painted in the media, and in the halls of Washington. He argues that the US underestimated the strength of Iraqi nationalism when it invaded Iraq, causing US military commanders to follow a wayward path in their efforts to occupy the country. Cockburn also talks about the seemingly improbable "power sharing" going on in Iraq between the US and Iran, as evidenced by the recent ceasefire between Iraqi troops and Sadr's Mehdi Army, a ceasefire that was brokered by Iran.

For Part 1 of this interview, click here.