Moqtada al-Sadr is claiming that the Americans are collecting a dossier
on the "Mahdi" to prevent his return, and this was a motive for the US-led
invasion of Iraq. al-Sadr's "Mahdi" is apparently quite
"puny", compared
to Jesus Christ, if the Americans can "hijack the Mahdi's return".

If I was in the Pentagon, I would first inform al-Sadr that his "Mahdi"
is simply one of the false christs and false prophets (like Mohammad)
who deceive many. If he persists, I would play a mind game with him,
and state that the USA and its allies are indeed compiling a dossier
on the "Mahdi", and will indeed "hijack his return",
and there is 
nothing he and the other 1.x billion Muslims can do about it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Times     October 03, 2006

Waiting for the imam's return to Earth

THE followers of Moqtada al-Sadr believe that the US invaded Iraq to
prevent the return to Earth of their sectAEs messiah-like figure, the
Mahdi, or 12th imam.

Hojatoleslam al-Sadr claims that his militia is preparing for the day
when the Mahdi, the last direct descendent of the revered Shia figure
Ali, reappears. Shia believe that the Mahdi, who disappeared in 868,
will bring justice to Earth.

At a prayer service in the central Iraqi city of Kufa on September 15,
the cleric told a crowd of thousands that the Americans were
collecting a dossier on the Mahdi to prevent his return. "Did you ever
ask yourself about why all of this, the bloodshed and the prisons? Why
are the brothers fighting each other for a political game planned by
the Americans? This all happened because they (the Americans) are
waiting for the Mahdi. This planning started ten years ago. They have
a big file for Imam Mahdi and they just need his picture to complete
it."

Hojatoleslam al-Sadr and his advisers are convinced that the Americans
want to destroy Islam and stop the Mahdi. "The Americans are trying to
hijack Islamic movements. They think that these are serving the
Mahdi's interests. Whatever they did in Afghanistan and Iraq are all
attempts to hijack the Mahdi's return."

                              -==-

Source: "TimesOnline" - UK
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C3-2385384%2C00.html

Cheers, Steve..

---