A VER SI TODOS AQUELLOS que estaban histéricos -algunos- o complacidos -unos cuantos- por el "exito" de la gloriosa resistencia de al-Sadr, y que callaron cuando ésta se evaporó, informan ahora con la misma amplitud de que el cleriguito borderline ha pasado oficialmente a apoyar el nuevo gobierno iraquí:

The anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr on Friday endorsed the new interim Iraqi government and appeared to urge his followers to honor a week-old cease-fire that has been frayed by continuing violence.

A senior aide to Mr. Sadr, Sheik Jabir al-Khafaji, used a sermon during Friday Prayers in the Sadr stronghold of Kufa, 120 miles south of here, to announce that Mr. Sadr now approved of the interim government he had previously mocked and that he wanted its leaders to set a timetable for the departure of occupation forces.

" 'From now on, I beg you to start afresh for Iraq for the sake of peace and safety,' " Sheik Khafaji quoted Mr. Sadr as saying. " 'We have to avoid pushing humiliation and aggression on others and go forward with the independence of Iraq and not respond to the occupiers.' "

Those words represent a radical reversal of Mr. Sadr's past position. They could also represent an effort by Mr. Sadr to become involved in the politics of the nation, rather than continue as a leader of a 10-week-old insurgent struggle.

No es que el chaval sea fiable al 100%, y es posible que haya una buena dosis de cálculo político en su decisión (¿no es eso de lo que se trata la democracia?); no está en absoluto claro que no vuelva a cambiar de opinión si las cosas no salen como quiere. Pero con la exagerada atención mediática que se ha prestado al asunto, es una noticia que debería recibir la relevancia que mereció en todas aquellas ocasiones en que las noticias eran malas para la coalición. No cuento con que ocurra, desde luego.