The al-Sadr Brigades formed after the mysterious disappearance of Lebanese Shiite spiritual leader Iman Musa al-Sadr.  Al-Sadr, along with two companions, vanished during a visit to Libya in August of 1978.  The al-Sadr Brigades is likely comprised of a small number of al-Sadr's supporters who may also be members of the terrorist group Amal, though the organization's size and structure are not known.  Lebanese Shiites have long suspected Libyan strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi of ordering al-Sadr's abduction and murder, though Libya insists al-Sadr boarded a plane to Rome following his arrival in Libya.  However, Italian authorities found no evidence that he visited Rome. Al-Sadr had gone to Libya in an attempt to smooth over relations with Qaddafi, allegedly stemming from a personal dispute between the two men.  Though the grounds for the clash are the subject of much speculation, it is clear that Qaddafi underestimated the international implications of abducting al-Sadr. The feud may also have arisen from religious differences, as Qaddafi leads an overwhelmingly Sunni nation, while al-Sadr headed a Shiite militia.<P> <br />The al-Sadr Brigades' expressed aim is to secure Iman Musa al-Sadr's freedom. Using its contacts with other Shiite groups, such as Amal and Hezbollah, the al-Sadr Brigades has pressured Libya to disclose al-Sadr's whereabouts. The group has also threatened to assault Libyan diplomatic personnel in Lebanon and promised to attack the Libyan embassy in Beirut were it to reopen. In 1984, the al-Sadr Brigades orchestrated the kidnapping of a Libyan diplomat, demanding the removal of all Libyan diplomatic personnel from Lebanon.  After Libya complied, the diplomat was released.  A similar attack occurred in 1988, when the Brigades kidnapped an alleged Libyan intelligence agent.  The al-Sadr Brigades has also publicly pressured Hezbollah to arrest Libyan nationals and called for the Iranian government to demand that Libya account for al-Sadr's disappearance.  <P><br />Continued Lebanese anger about al-Sadr's unknown fate has precipitated two crises in Lebanese-Libyan relations in 2000 and 2003, causing Libya to cease diplomatic relations. In 2002, the al-Sadr Brigades confirmed its long suspected suspicions of Libyan involvement, when Iran confirmed Iman Musa al-Sadr's death at the hands of Libyan agents.  Despite this admission, conflicting reports regarding al-Sadr's fate continue to emerge, and the precise details of his disappearance remain unknown. <P><br />	The al-Sadr Brigades is closely affiliated with Amal, a Shiite paramilitary and terrorist group founded by Iman Musa al-Sadr. Amal is an Arabic acronym for "Afwaj al Muqawama al Lubnaniya", meaning "Lebanese Resistance Brigades" in English.   The word "Amal" means "hope" in Arabic. Al-Sadr founded Amal in 1975 to press Shiite influence in Lebanon.   After al-Sadr's kidnapping, Amal was beset by internal power struggles and lost members to Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah.  Despite this, Amal remains an influential Shiite organization, due in part to close ties with Hezbollah, a group with similar political goals.  <br />