Iran allies round on surprise Iraq vote winner

Iran and its allies were mustering a bid Wednesday to limit the role of fiery Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr in Iraq's next government after his shock election win reshaped the country's political landscape. The preacher, who was the bete noire of American forces during the US invasion, captured the most seats in parliament after his improbable alliance with Iraq's communists tapped popular anger over corruption and foreign interference. Fanar Haddad, an Iraq analyst at the University of Singapore, said it was "mathematically, legally and constitutionally" possible for Sadr's rivals to form a coalition government without members of his victorious Marching Towards Reform alliance.