IRAQ: LEADER OF SUPEME COUNCIL CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON HOLY CITIES OF NAJAF AND KERBALA WHICH HINDER THE ELECTION PROCESS

Record ID: 355626

  • Title: IRAQ: LEADER OF SUPEME COUNCIL CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON HOLY CITIES OF NAJAF AND KERBALA WHICH HINDER THE ELECTION PROCESS
  • Date: 20th December 2004
  • Summary: (W5) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 20, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LEADER OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL FOR THE WIDE OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN IRAQ (SCIRI) ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM 0.06 2. WIDE OF AL- HAKIM SITTING AT PRESS CONFERENCE 0.12 3. WIDE OF JOURNALISTS IN THE NEWS CONFERENCE 0.17 4. SCU SOUNDBITE (Arabic) AL- HAKIM SAYIN
  • Embargoed: 4th January 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD,IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA5TW9HFPIAOGX3XR8B0KUWQLZX
  • Story Text: Leader of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution
    in Iraq ( SCIRI) condemns attacks against the two holy
    cities Najaf and Kerbala and offers his organisation's
    members to guard electoral centres during the elections.



    The leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic
    Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) on Monday (December 20)
    condemned the attacks that targeted the two holy cities of
    Najaf and Kerbala on Sunday (December 19).

    "We severely condemned the two terrorist attacks that
    took place in the two holy cities of Najaf and Kerbala
    which targeted only innocent people. We believe that the
    aim behind the attacks is sectarian strife and hindering
    the election process. The Iraqis won't give the terrorists
    this chance and the Iraqi government will exert utmost
    efforts to prevent such operations", Abdul Aziz al-Hakim,
    who is top of the list for the most powerful Shi'ite
    electoral bloc in elections scheduled for January 30, said.

    In Najaf on Sunday a suicide car bombing caused 52
    deaths and more than 140 wounded.

    Also on Sunday, a similar blast in nearby Kerbala
    killed at least 14 people and wounded about 40. The total
    toll on the day was at least 66 dead and more than 180
    wounded.

    Both explosions occurred not far from some of the
    holiest shrines in Shi'ite Islam, six weeks before the
    election that should hand power to the long-oppressed
    Shi'ite majority at the expense of former Iraqi President
    Saddam Hussein's fellow Sunnis.

    Al- Hakim said that the Badir organization, which is
    the military arm of SCIRI, was ready to offer about 100,000
    of its members as a protection force in electoral centres
    in Baghdad.

    "We announced the readiness of Badir organization to
    provide about 100,000 member to protect the electoral
    centres, as a part of their national duty", al- Hakim said.

    Iraq's Shi'ite leaders, who are keen for the election
    to go ahead on time, recognising it as an opportunity to
    increase their political, have urged their followers to
    remain calm in the face of provocation.



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