The final results of Iraq's first post-Islamic State (ISIS) election, held last weekend, have revealed a shock win for controversial anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The Shia leader, who has railed against both U.S. and Iranian influence, could dramatically change the landscape for major powers that have invested heavily in Iraq.
A firebrand religious leader with millions of loyal followers, Sadr gained infamy shortly after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion by directing deadly attacks against American troops with his Mahdi Army, which also attacked Iraq's Sunnis.
Several of his election rallies triggered chants of "Iran out!" among his followers, voicing the desire for an Iraqi state run by Iraqis.
Most bets were on current Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to win, but Abadi finished in a meager third place behind the Iranian-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr Brigade, an organization created by Iran during the 1980s to fight Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war. Amiri was among Tehran's favorites to win — and this dynamic could create a rift in parliament between Iran loyalists and Sadr supporters.
So what was our plan for invading Iraq?
So what was our plan for invading Iraq?
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