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High-profile visits by political figures are relatively rare in Najaf, the quiet holy city in southern Iraq where Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani lives. Sistani, the most venerated Shi'ite religious leader in the country, shuns the limelight. But it fell his way last week nonetheless when Iraqi Prime Ministry Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared in Najaf separately within days of each other. It raised questions whether Sistani is making a comeback as a voice in political decision-making in Iraq...
...years Sistani and Muqtada al-Sadr have seesawed with each other as Iraq's two main Shi'ite power players. In the early days of the occupation, Sistani's call for calm undoubtedly allowed American troops to avoid fierce resistance to their presence in southern Iraq. But Sistani's repeated appeals for peace lost their weight as sectarian violence rose in Iraq, with Sadr leading the Mahdi Army militia in an inexorable year-long quest for Shi'ite revenge following the bombing of a revered shrine in Samarra in early 2006. As a result, Sadr, a mere cleric, towered...
Both Maliki and Crocker stand to gain by keeping Sistani happy and supportive of their political efforts, since hopes that Sadr would drop the renegade routine dissipated as the Mahdi Army battled with government forces across southern Iraq and Baghdad in the last two months. With Sadr on the outs, Sistani rises again as a kind of godfather figure whose silence can be interpreted as tacit support, particularly when leaders such as Maliki are seen as consulting him. Sistani maintained his usual silence as Crocker wrapped up his visit to Najaf Saturday. But there is little doubt about the renewed...
...That's a big if. A La Niña weather pattern, which is associated with above-average rainfall and had been giving farmers in southeastern Australia hope over the Southern winter, is weakening, according to forecasters. "Australian farmers have been incredibly innovative in overcoming water shortages and maximizing production under trying conditions," says the National Farmers' Federation's Heffernan. "If they just get a bit of rain, you'll see production kick in very quickly because they've done the preparation." Any Australian rebound would be a bonus on top of expected bumper wheat crops...
...Fort McMoney because it has the nation's highest average income. The timing seems right for Canada too. Carpenters and truck drivers are fetching six-figure wages in Alberta--and working in -50°F (-46°C) temperatures in the winter--but Canada's traditional manufacturing hub of southern Ontario is suffering, ironically, because of its ties to the U.S. auto industry. And Canada's strengthening loonie has shed its huge cost advantage to the dollar...