KUFA, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday blamed US-led coalition forces for the rampant violence across Iraq, including the deadly car bombing in the holy city of Najaf a day before. “This is not the first time that the occupation forces and their death squads have resorted to killings,” the cleric said during the weekly prayers at the mosque of Kufa, the twin city of Najaf. He was referring to Thursday’s car bombing in Najaf.
Ten people were killed and 42 wounded when a car bomb exploded close to the revered Imam Ali shrine in the heart of Najaf and near Sadr’s offices and those of top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani. The bomb went off in the parking lot near the entrance of the Wadi Salam (Valley of Peace) cemetery, forcing authorities to impose an immediate curfew in a bid to stem any outbreak of sectarian violence. Sadr also blamed the coalition forces for the sectarian strife, charging that “they are killing religious Shiite clerics in order to start a sectarian strife”.
US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad was particularly targeted by Sadr in his sermon. “His (Khalilzad’s) presence in all the political meetings is a clear intervention of the US in Iraqi affairs,” Sadr said. He also suggested a plan for a phased withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. “To begin with they should exit the cities and take positions outside the cities and hand over security for the cities to the Iraqi forces,” said the firebrand cleric.
In August 2004, Sadr led a bloody revolt against US forces in which hundreds of his Mehdi Army militiamen were killed. He has since adopted a political role and is one of the main supporters of incumbent Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari. |