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Steering Liberia With 'Rallying Cry' Against War
The U.N.'s Go-Between in Iraq
Ashraf Qazi , Pakistan's former ambassador to Washington and the U.N. special representative in Baghdad since August 2004, has grown into his role as a conduit to Iraq's precarious leadership and power centers. This week, he returned here to brief Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other officials on his impressions.
A Muslim with a basic knowledge of Arabic, Qazi has had access to key spiritual and political players in Iraq. He has met in Najaf with the senior Shiite religious figure, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani , a reclusive figure who has declined to meet with any American representatives.
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Sign Up for RSS FeedQazi said Sistani, whose ideas differ from the hard-line members of Iran's Shiite theocracy, has used his moral influence to steer the country on a more moderate course, and seeks to help stem interreligious violence that has climaxed in recent weeks.
"He is not a political leader. He has told me that unless political consensus and effective leadership emerges, his voice will not carry weight in the face of more outrages," Qazi said in an interview Monday.
When a Shiite shrine in Samarra was blown up last month, Qazi said Sistani appealed to Shiite followers "not to hold entire communities responsible and urged them to spare the lives of innocents. . . . He is the most respected voice in Iraq for the Shia and among other communities, but he has indicated that this may not hold in the face of more outrageous acts."
The U.N. envoy said he had also met with Moqtada al-Sadr , a younger and more radical Shiite leader who commands the loyalty of thousands of young Iraqis. He described Sadr as an "authentic Arab" who wields tremendous influence and sees himself as providing a bridge between Iraqis and other Arabs.
Qazi said he planned to convey to Rice Sistani's fears that Iraqis may no longer heed his counsel for moderation.
"The current situation is a matter of concern and has to be addressed," he said. "There is a spreading awareness that there is very little time and that they can't allow things to drift."
