[1] Sistani for Nobel! Uh, wait a minute, Rich, you may want to hold off on printing those bumper stickers for a little while.

From the [2] Wall Street Journal (subscription only), with thanks to Erick Stakelbeck:

Iraq's most prominent Shiite religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, maintained close ties with Tehran during Saddam Hussein's rule and today channels millions of dollars monthly into Islamic research centers and theological schools in Iran, according to his Web site, demonstrating the growing convergence of Iran's and Iraq's religious elite.