Grand Ayatollah Sistani is said to be the most important friend the Coalition has in Iraq. But he is a troubling friend. Almost universally regarded as the most important figure in Iraq’s domestic politics, his 2003 fatwa urging Iraqis to not resist the invading Coalition forces helped make the initial conquest go smoothly. His confrontation with younger rival Muqtada al-Sadr helps keep the sometimes violent radical in line.

But Ayatollah Sistani is an irridentist Shi’ite cleric who believes in najis