Anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who led several Shia uprisings against American forces in Iraq before travelling to neighbouring Iran at least three years ago, has returned to Iraq, officials said Wednesday.
Mr. Al-Sadr's return caps another dramatic rise to prominence for him and his followers after they were routed by Iraqi and U.S. forces and appeared to fade from power just a few years ago. The strong showing by his bloc in last year's parliamentary elections and his key support for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki paved the way for the return.
It was not immediately clear how long Mr. al-Sadr would stay in Iraq or whether the return marked a permanent decision to remain in the country, where his presence would certainly mark a seismic shift in Iraqi politics.
A Sadrist official in Baghdad, Mohammed al-Kaabi, said Mr. al-Sadr was in the holy city of Najaf .
