Who is al-Sadr?

Sadr, whose stronghold is Baghdad8217;s Sadr City, led two uprisings against US forces in 2004.

Sadr8217;s political group was instrumental in appointing Maliki, a fellow Shi8217;ite from the Dawa party, as prime minister in May. Sadr8217;s group has a quarter of the seats in the Shi8217;ite Alliance, parliament8217;s largest bloc, and controls several ministries.

Sadr, a fiery nationalist who has called for American troops to leave Iraq, derives much of his authority from his family. His father, highly respected Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, was murdered in 1999 for defying Saddam Hussein.

Sadr, in his early 30s, attracts a zealous following among the young, poor and dispossessed. His rising power has unsettled Shi8217;ite religious elders in the holy city of Najaf, many of whom see the junior cleric as a dangerous upstart.