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NYT Account of Najaf Situation
via MyWay - posted in fullBy ALEX BERENSON and SABRINA TAVERNISE - Published: August 18, 2004 NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 17 - The rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr refused to meet here on Tuesday with a peace delegation that traveled from a national conference in Baghdad, and fighting between American forces and his Shiite militia intensified. It is not yet clear whether Mr. Sadr's refusal to meet the delegates will scuttle the chance for talks between him and the interim Iraqi government. Members of the mission said they were not upset that Mr. Sadr had turned them away, and both sides said lower-level discussions had been cordial. The delegation had come to ask that Mr. Sadr give up control of the Imam Ali shrine and join the political process in return for amnesty for his fighters. For almost two weeks, his forces have battled Americans in Najaf, in the Sadr City district in Baghdad, and in several cities across southern Iraq. Posted by: .com 2004-08-18 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=40904 |