Baghdad, 25 Oct. (AKI) - The Shiite faction led by Moqtada al-Sadr says it backs the Arab League's proposed national reconciliation conference but not at the proposed location, Cairo. League secretary-general Amr Moussa has just returned from a visit to Iraq where he secured the support of influential Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani and the Kurdish leadership to bring together Iraqi parties and foreign ministers of the 22 League nations.
"We agree with the proposal to hold a conference of national unity, but believe it should be held inside Iraq and not abroad," Sheikh al-Arji, a representative of al-Sadr's Shiite faction, told the Voice of Iraq news site. | Moqtada is worried if he leaves Iraq to attend, he might not make it back. |
"The divisions and differences which are lacerating the country are real and require a debate that must happen inside the country and not overseas," he added.
Al-Sadr has a significant following among poor Shiites. In 2004, he led uprisings against the US forces in Najaf and Sadr City on the edge of Baghdad. However, he agreed to a deal a year ago, which involved his followers handing over their weapons in return for cash and which gave him the chance to be included in the country's political process. The national unity congress is scheduled to be held on 15 November in Egypt. |