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Standoff enters second day in Karbala
Shiite Muslim factions in the holy city of Karbala were negotiating to try to end a tense standoff at a mosque where followers of firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr took at least eight hostages, a police source said Wednesday. "They are negotiating about the situation at al-Mukhaiyam mosque," the police source said. Sadrâs Mehdi Army militia clashed Tuesday with followers of senior Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani after his group attempted to seize two of the most revered shrines in Shiite Islam, the mausoleums of the seventh-century leaders Abbas and Hussein.Tried to bite off more than he could chew. At least one person was killed and 24 others wounded in the clashes. About 15 of Sadrâs people then retreated to the cityâs al-Mukhaiyam mosque, where they were surrounded by Iraqi police, civilians and a US-backed protection force for holy site. Angry turbaned mob with torches and pitchforks. Coalition forces said eight people had been taken hostage inside the mosque. Page 23 in your "Standoffâs For Dummies" handbook. The top US military commander General Ricardo Sanchez visited Karbala late Tuesday and met with police chief General Abbas Fadl Abud, who recommended the coalition let the Iraqis negotiate a peaceful end to the confrontation at the al-Mukhaiyam mosque. "You want to let us handle this hot potato?" "OK" A peaceful solution also looked possible as Sadr scrapped plans Wednesday for an Islamic-style government he had announced last week in the aftermath of clashes that left two US soldiers and two Iraqi Shiites dead in Baghdadâs Sadr City, his stronghold of support. "Until now there have been no demonstrations of public support for this government, and as a result, I cannot create it," he told Al-Arabiya satellite news channel. Translation - "Oops, I grabbed for power too soon." Posted by: Steve 2003-10-15 |
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