I have heard this is an interesting book. I might have to check it out. The next book in my hopper is "Fiasco" I forget the author off the top of my head, but it is about the military and political issues about Americans in Iraq.
In your book, does it mention an oil revenue sharing system based on the Alaska Permanent Fund?
Not yet at least, its more focused on the inner workings of the Shia groups in Iraq and there interaction, and the forming of Sadr's army, how he got power, and how he has used it. Like as much as Sadr Respects grand ayatollah Sistani, there is also some anger and mistrust at how he lived in Iran while the Shia Died in the Streets to take out Saddam and where butchered in response. And the divided of Sadr's involvement in Politics, where Sustain is more traditional Shia in that he says Politics taints the Religion and stays out of it as much as possible. ( the Shia Political rising in Iran in the late 1970's is actually a very rare thing in Shia History, most have held to the Sistani view)
For even more background, the book "The Shia Revival" is a great book as well I would tell anyone to read, it looks at Iraq, but More the bigger Middle East Conflict of Sauds vs Iran for power and the Sunni Shia Split starting from the Split of the 2 groups.
the lack of even basic knowledge of Islam from those who talk about what US Policy in the Middle East and Iraq should be shows me just why we always end up Fing up everything we do over there.
