NAJAF, Iraq — Iraqis poured into the holy Shiite city of Najaf to hear a powerful anti-American cleric give his first public speech in his home country after nearly four years in self-imposed exile.
Followers and detractors alike will be watching Muqtada al-Sadr's Saturday morning speech for signs of what direction he'll take his political movement.
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He left Iraq in 2007 as a firebrand popular with poor Iraqi Shiites. Now he heads an organized political movement and is an influential figure in Iraqi politics.
The 37-year-old cleric's support was crucial in giving Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki a second term.
