New Pieces Changing the Iraq Puzzle

by Ira Chernus

Trying to understand our war in Iraq is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle when most of the pieces are missing, and the few pieces you have keep changing shape. It’s been that way since March, 2003. It will probably be that way until the last U.S. forces leave Iraq.

Here is the most recent piece. Ammar al-Hakim is a top figure in the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), one of the two leading Shi’ite parties in the central government. Last week al-Hakim became the first major Shi’ite figure to visit Anbar province, where he met with and praised Sunni leaders.