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Al-Sadr calls for countrywide ceasefire
Another sign that Sadr is suffering from the major ass kicking he received.An aide to Muqtada al-Sadr says the Shia cleric has called on his militia to cease all fighting against U.S. and Iraqi forces. "[He] has called for a halting of all military operations in Iraq, and we are studying the idea of joining the political process," said Naim Al-Kaabi, an al-Sadr aide in Baghdad. Will there be a convention? What will the party's name be? Al-Sadr called on all his followers to lay down their arms unless in self-defence, the aide said, adding they should be patient until the political program is revealed. "This latest initiative shows that we want stability and security in this country by ending all confrontation in all parts of Iraq," said Sheik Raed al-Khadami, al-Sadr's spokesperson in Baghdad. [Not from Scrappleface!] He said al-Sadr's office in Najaf will call within the next two days to join the political process. A peace deal was reached on Friday ending three weeks of fighting between Sadr's militia and American and Iraqi forces in the Iraqi city of Najaf, but Monday's announcement was aimed at halting the fighting that has spread to other Shia communities. The government of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has demanded al-Sadr disband the Mahdi Army and join the political process. Posted by: Rafael 2004-08-31 |
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