(MENAFN- Iraq Business News) By Dr Renad Mansour, for Chatham House . Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News .

After Latest Turn, is Muqtada al-Sadr Losing Influence in Iraq?

The populist cleric has repositioned himself in Iraqi politics multiple times, but his recent shift against youth-led protestors may signal his decline as an autonomous political force.

Following the US strike on Qassem Solaimani and Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis, populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has violently cracked down on youth-led protests in Iraq.

His paramilitaries and 'blue hats' – supposedly created to protect protestors from state and allied parastatal security forces – sought to end the months-long demonstrations by attacking the places where protesters have camped since October. In Baghdad's Tahrir Square, they successfully captured the famous Turkish restaurant which had become a symbol of Iraq's 'October revolution'.

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