Shiite Clerics' Rivalry Deepens In Fragile Iraq

BAGHDAD -- In the quest to create a new Iraq, two powerful clerics compete for domination, one from within the government, the other from its shadows.

Both wear the black turban signifying their descent from the prophet Muhammad. They have fought each other since the days their fathers vied to lead Iraq's majority Shiites. They hold no official positions, but their parties each control 30 seats in the parliament. And they both lead militias that are widely alleged to run death squads.

Buy This Photo Ali Hussein, owner of a sidewalk restaurant in Baghdad, has allied himself with Moqtada al-Sadr, shown on the poster. (By Sudarsan Raghavan -- The Washington Post) Graphic Ethnic Fault Lines Tensions among Iraq&apos;s principal ethnic and religious groups have sharpened since the fall of the Saddam Hussein government in April 2003. Graphic Iraq&apos;s Leading Shiites As the United States is planning a new approach to Iraq, leaders of the country&apos;s majority Shiite community are vying for power. Special Report Washington Post stories and multimedia reports about Iraq, Afghanistan, the War on Terror and more. • Faces of the Fallen • Veterans: In Their Own Words • Afghan Reconstruction » FULL COVERAGE Save &amp; Share Article What&apos;s This? <