Uncle Sam
08-26-2004, 11:46 AM
MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5685031/)
Fierce violence as al-Sistani arrives in Najaf
Dozens killed in attack in nearby Kufa, shooting in holy city
Iraqi men tend to the injured after a mortar attack on the main mosque in Kufa on Thursday.
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 11:18 a.m. ET Aug. 26, 2004NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq’s top Shiite cleric made a dramatic return to Najaf at the head of a massive convoy hoping to end three weeks of fighting in the holy city, but a spate of violent incidents — including a series of attacks that killed scores of his supporters on Thursday — immediately threatened his peace mission.
At least 10 of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani's followers were shot dead when gunmen opened fire at police who were trying to control the crowd in Najaf, prompting the police to return fire, witnesses said.
Hours earlier a mortar barrage slammed into a mosque in nearby Kufa filled with Iraqis preparing to join his march, killing 27 people and wounding 63.
And another group of marchers heading into Najaf from Kufa came under fire from an Iraqi National Guard base. At least three people were killed and 46 wounded.
With officials from all sides supporting al-Sistani’s march call, it was unclear who was behind the attacks.
The spiraling violence was reported as the United States, at the behest of the Iraqi interim government, said it was suspending military operations in Najaf to facilitate al-Sistani's mission.
Earlier U.S. warplanes bombed suspected positions of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia and explosions booming across the city.
Top Shiite cleric arrives in Najaf
The 75-year-old al-Sistani had been in London undergoing medical treatment throughout the fighting, and his return could be the best hope so far of ending the violence, which has repeatedly seen peace efforts fall apart.
Nabil Al Jurani / AP
Iraqi police escort the 30-vehicle convoy of sport utility vehicles travelling with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, as the convoy leaves the southern city of Basra for Najaf, Iraq, on Thursday.
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Al-Sistani has held himself above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government.
He holds the loyalty of a far broader swath of Iraq’s Shiite majority than al-Sadr, a young cleric whose fiery anti-U.S. message has drawn many poorer, disillusioned Shiites but is seen by other Shiites as too radical.
Al-Sistani is calling for Najaf and Kufa to be declared weapons-free cities, for all foreign forces to withdraw from Najaf and leave security to the police and for the Iraqi government to compensate those harmed by the fighting here. fact file Iraq’s holiest shrine
On Thursday, al-Sistani’s 30-vehicle convoy drove 220 miles from the southern city of Basra to Najaf, joined by at least a thousand cars from towns along the way, where supporters on the street cheered al-Sistani.
He arrived in Najaf just before 3 p.m. and went directly to one of his houses in the al-Sa’ad neighborhood, about a mile from the revered Imam Ali Shrine, where the militants were holed up.
24-hour cease-fire
Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared a 24-hour cease-fire in Najaf from the time of al-Sistani’s arrival “to reinforce our commitment to peace.”
Allawi expressed hope al-Sistani’s peace initiative would succeed so the government would not have to resort to a long-threatened raid on the Imam Ali Shrine — an action that would likely outrage Iraq’s Shiite majority.
“I stress that this is the last call for peace and that this is the last chance to put an end to the spilling of innocent blood,” Allawi said in a statement. “God willing, our prayers for Iraq’s peace and stable security will be met.”
Allawi and other government officials have repeatedly issued ultimatums for the militants to capitulate, but have yet to follow through on their threats.
Al-Sistani’s aides had called on Iraqi Shiites nationwide to march on Najaf to support his peace bid, but asked them to wait on the edge of the holy city until his arrival. Al-Sadr’s aides also asked their followers to join the march as well.
Series of attacks kill tens of Iraqis
Yet despite the government initiated cease-fire, dozens were killed in Najaf and its sister city Kufa.
Hospital officials said 10 bodies had been brought to Najaf's hospital after the shooting involving the followers of al-Sistani. Ambulance workers said it was too dangerous to return to the scene because of sniper fire.
Witness Hazim Kareem said the supporters wanted to follow al-Sistani after he arrived in the embattled city but police stopped them. Unidentified gunmen then entered the crowd, Kareem said.
"Suddenly armed men joined our group and fired at the police. The police started firing everywhere," Kareem, who was wounded, told ******* at the hospital, where bodies dripping with blood were piled on stretchers.
Hours earlier, a mortar barrage slammed into a mosque in Kufa filled with Iraqis preparing to march into Najaf.
Al-Sadr aide blames Kufa attack on U.S. forces rofl
Following the mortar attack in Kufa, al-Sadr's aide, Hussam al-Husseini, blamed the American forces backing Iraqi troops in the city, but a U.S. military spokesman denied that. “We held the interim government responsible for this bombing. We hold it responsible for this bloodshed,” al-Husseini said.
Any damage inflicted by U.S. forces on holy sites would anger Iraq’s Shiite majority and could spark a greater uprising against the fledgling interim government, which is also battling a persistent and bloody Sunni insurgency.
Marine Capt. Carrie Batson said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday that U.S. forces in the area “continue not to target holy sites, including the Kufa mosque.”
“We did not have any weapons systems, to include mortars, in range of the Kufa Mosque last night or today, nor have we conducted any military operations in the city for the last 48 hours,” Batson said.
Batson said that militants have been responsible for “wild, undisciplined fire” in the past. Earlier this week, U.S. forces released photos purportedly showing a militant mortar system outside the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and accused the militants of launching a rocket from inside the shrine compound that fell short and exploded just outside the holy site.
In other violence, saboteurs attacked about 20 oil pipelines in southern Iraq late Wednesday, reducing exports from the key oil producing region by at least one third, an official with the state-run South Oil Co. said Thursday on condition of anonymity.
Elsewhere, a U.S. soldier was killed in a mortar attack in Iraq's capital Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday.
In a statement, the military said the attack took place on Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. It did not provide more details.
Fierce violence as al-Sistani arrives in Najaf
Dozens killed in attack in nearby Kufa, shooting in holy city
Iraqi men tend to the injured after a mortar attack on the main mosque in Kufa on Thursday.
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 11:18 a.m. ET Aug. 26, 2004NAJAF, Iraq - Iraq’s top Shiite cleric made a dramatic return to Najaf at the head of a massive convoy hoping to end three weeks of fighting in the holy city, but a spate of violent incidents — including a series of attacks that killed scores of his supporters on Thursday — immediately threatened his peace mission.
At least 10 of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani's followers were shot dead when gunmen opened fire at police who were trying to control the crowd in Najaf, prompting the police to return fire, witnesses said.
Hours earlier a mortar barrage slammed into a mosque in nearby Kufa filled with Iraqis preparing to join his march, killing 27 people and wounding 63.
And another group of marchers heading into Najaf from Kufa came under fire from an Iraqi National Guard base. At least three people were killed and 46 wounded.
With officials from all sides supporting al-Sistani’s march call, it was unclear who was behind the attacks.
The spiraling violence was reported as the United States, at the behest of the Iraqi interim government, said it was suspending military operations in Najaf to facilitate al-Sistani's mission.
Earlier U.S. warplanes bombed suspected positions of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia and explosions booming across the city.
Top Shiite cleric arrives in Najaf
The 75-year-old al-Sistani had been in London undergoing medical treatment throughout the fighting, and his return could be the best hope so far of ending the violence, which has repeatedly seen peace efforts fall apart.
Nabil Al Jurani / AP
Iraqi police escort the 30-vehicle convoy of sport utility vehicles travelling with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, as the convoy leaves the southern city of Basra for Najaf, Iraq, on Thursday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al-Sistani has held himself above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government.
He holds the loyalty of a far broader swath of Iraq’s Shiite majority than al-Sadr, a young cleric whose fiery anti-U.S. message has drawn many poorer, disillusioned Shiites but is seen by other Shiites as too radical.
Al-Sistani is calling for Najaf and Kufa to be declared weapons-free cities, for all foreign forces to withdraw from Najaf and leave security to the police and for the Iraqi government to compensate those harmed by the fighting here. fact file Iraq’s holiest shrine
On Thursday, al-Sistani’s 30-vehicle convoy drove 220 miles from the southern city of Basra to Najaf, joined by at least a thousand cars from towns along the way, where supporters on the street cheered al-Sistani.
He arrived in Najaf just before 3 p.m. and went directly to one of his houses in the al-Sa’ad neighborhood, about a mile from the revered Imam Ali Shrine, where the militants were holed up.
24-hour cease-fire
Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared a 24-hour cease-fire in Najaf from the time of al-Sistani’s arrival “to reinforce our commitment to peace.”
Allawi expressed hope al-Sistani’s peace initiative would succeed so the government would not have to resort to a long-threatened raid on the Imam Ali Shrine — an action that would likely outrage Iraq’s Shiite majority.
“I stress that this is the last call for peace and that this is the last chance to put an end to the spilling of innocent blood,” Allawi said in a statement. “God willing, our prayers for Iraq’s peace and stable security will be met.”
Allawi and other government officials have repeatedly issued ultimatums for the militants to capitulate, but have yet to follow through on their threats.
Al-Sistani’s aides had called on Iraqi Shiites nationwide to march on Najaf to support his peace bid, but asked them to wait on the edge of the holy city until his arrival. Al-Sadr’s aides also asked their followers to join the march as well.
Series of attacks kill tens of Iraqis
Yet despite the government initiated cease-fire, dozens were killed in Najaf and its sister city Kufa.
Hospital officials said 10 bodies had been brought to Najaf's hospital after the shooting involving the followers of al-Sistani. Ambulance workers said it was too dangerous to return to the scene because of sniper fire.
Witness Hazim Kareem said the supporters wanted to follow al-Sistani after he arrived in the embattled city but police stopped them. Unidentified gunmen then entered the crowd, Kareem said.
"Suddenly armed men joined our group and fired at the police. The police started firing everywhere," Kareem, who was wounded, told ******* at the hospital, where bodies dripping with blood were piled on stretchers.
Hours earlier, a mortar barrage slammed into a mosque in Kufa filled with Iraqis preparing to march into Najaf.
Al-Sadr aide blames Kufa attack on U.S. forces rofl
Following the mortar attack in Kufa, al-Sadr's aide, Hussam al-Husseini, blamed the American forces backing Iraqi troops in the city, but a U.S. military spokesman denied that. “We held the interim government responsible for this bombing. We hold it responsible for this bloodshed,” al-Husseini said.
Any damage inflicted by U.S. forces on holy sites would anger Iraq’s Shiite majority and could spark a greater uprising against the fledgling interim government, which is also battling a persistent and bloody Sunni insurgency.
Marine Capt. Carrie Batson said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday that U.S. forces in the area “continue not to target holy sites, including the Kufa mosque.”
“We did not have any weapons systems, to include mortars, in range of the Kufa Mosque last night or today, nor have we conducted any military operations in the city for the last 48 hours,” Batson said.
Batson said that militants have been responsible for “wild, undisciplined fire” in the past. Earlier this week, U.S. forces released photos purportedly showing a militant mortar system outside the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and accused the militants of launching a rocket from inside the shrine compound that fell short and exploded just outside the holy site.
In other violence, saboteurs attacked about 20 oil pipelines in southern Iraq late Wednesday, reducing exports from the key oil producing region by at least one third, an official with the state-run South Oil Co. said Thursday on condition of anonymity.
Elsewhere, a U.S. soldier was killed in a mortar attack in Iraq's capital Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday.
In a statement, the military said the attack took place on Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. It did not provide more details.