AGE: 35
OCCUPATION: Shi'ite cleric
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 2
PRO: He lost power after declaring a cease-fire with the Sunnis in 2006 and has been out of the public eye for months. But as the U.S. occupation of Iraq starts winding down, reports suggest that al-Sadr is quietly orchestrating a comeback.
CON: He's not the easiest guy to trust.