When hostilities broke out in Anbar province at the beginning of the year, many wondered why prominent Sunni cleric Abdul-Malik al-Saadi had chosen to keep quiet. Saadi became known during the Sunni demonstrations in 2013 as the spiritual mentor of the leaders of the clans’ demonstrations.
However, Saadi’s role in the recent battles has been unclear. He also did not give an opinion about the initiatives put forward over the last two months aimed at resolving the crisis.