The story: In a rare press conference from the Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Feb. 10, cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr called for United Nations (UN) supervision over the upcoming parliamentary elections in October. The 14-point speech was partially in response to government and public criticism against the deployment of Sadr's paramilitary group, Saraya Al-Salam, in Baghdad and Karbala - in addition to Najaf - the night before.

The coverage: Both the press conference and the mobilization appear aimed at paving the way for the Sadrist movement to fully enter campaigning mode....