Iraqi Shiite Party Leader Hakim Dies
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful political figures in the post-Saddam Hussein years, died Wednesday after a long struggle with lung cancer, threatening more tumult among Shiite politicians attempting to unite ahead of January elections.
Mr. Hakim, 59 years old, headed Iraq's largest Shiite political party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, or ISCI. But his influence extended beyond his own party and sect. He maintained close ties with U.S. officials, who presided over the transition from American occupation to Iraqi sovereignty. He also remained close to his political backers in Iran, where he lived as an exile and militia leader during Mr. Hussein's rule.
He was popular among Iraqi Shiites, who saw him as a rebel leader who triumphed over Mr. Hussein. But he was distrusted by many Sunnis, who criticized him and his party as an embodiment of the sectarian divide that ravaged Iraq after the American-led invasion in 2003...
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Mr. Hakim, 59 years old, headed Iraq's largest Shiite political party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, or ISCI. But his influence extended beyond his own party and sect. He maintained close ties with U.S. officials, who presided over the transition from American occupation to Iraqi sovereignty. He also remained close to his political backers in Iran, where he lived as an exile and militia leader during Mr. Hussein's rule.
He was popular among Iraqi Shiites, who saw him as a rebel leader who triumphed over Mr. Hussein. But he was distrusted by many Sunnis, who criticized him and his party as an embodiment of the sectarian divide that ravaged Iraq after the American-led invasion in 2003...