Hakim in US, has lung cancer

Before I wrote about some Iraqi politicians who went to the US for political reasons. A few days ago Sayyid Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC, which was before SCIRI), went to the US for medical check and now people report he has lung cancer. This is not good news and also I wish Hakim good health.

Hakim is of course the leader of SIIC, the largest group of the largest list in parliament. So he is very powerful. He is the son of the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mohsen al-Hakim, who was the most important leader of the Shi’a before Sayyid Abul-Qasim al-Khoei and Sayyid Ali al-Sistani. He is also the brother of Sayyid Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, who was the starter of SCIRI and was assassinated by Sunni terrorists along with many other people in 2003 at the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf.

Hakim is one of the only politicians who can be treated well and respected and listened to by the USA and Iran. Of course the USA is the most important other country in Iraq, but now Iran is influential as well and is causing problems in Iraq like most of the other neighboring criminal states. The USA will probably need someone who can communicate with both sides, and Hakim is definitely the best person. Hakim has spoken against terrorism in Iraq. He and his family fought Saddam and there were many people from the Hakim family killed or forced out from their homes by Saddam.

So I wish Hakim good health and am sad to hear this news. Also reports are that the Iraqi President Talabani will be in the US for some time for medical checks although this was planned. It is not good for Iraq for such leaders to be having health problems and so I hope that their health will improve.

Of course there are so many sad stories in Iraq. Hakim getting sick is just one thing out of very many, but I still like I said before I think there are some very good things about Hakim and also if Hakim is not acting as a leader for Iraq because of his health, it is bad for the Iraqi people and a sad story not only for Hakim and his family (who has plenty of sad stories already) but also for millions of Iraqis.