IRAQ: EXPLOSIONS ROCK NAJAF IN SECOND WEEK OF CLASHES BETWEEN US AND SHI'ITE MILITIA/ CITY DEPUTY GOVERNOR RESIGNS IN PROTEST

Record ID: 505839

  • Title: IRAQ: EXPLOSIONS ROCK NAJAF IN SECOND WEEK OF CLASHES BETWEEN US AND SHI'ITE MILITIA/ CITY DEPUTY GOVERNOR RESIGNS IN PROTEST
  • Date: 12th August 2004
  • Summary: (U2) NAJAF, IRAQ (AUGUST 12, 2004) (REUTERS) WIDE OF MOSQUE IN NAJAF CITY / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE TOP VIEW OF NAJAF CITY/ U.S. HELICOPTER HOVERING OVER WIDE OF SMOKE OVER CITY WIDE OF U.S. HELICOPTER FIRING/ AUDIO GUNFIRE PAN TO MORE SMOKE OVER BUILDING VARIOUS OF SMOKE FROM EXPLOSION/ AUDIO OF GUNFIRE WIDE OF CITY SKYLINE / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 2ND DEPUTY HEAD OF NAJAF'S GOVERNOR, JAWDAT KADHIM, SAYINH: "In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the compassionate.... I am lawyer Jawdat Kadhim Najim Abdul aziz al-Quraishi, representative of lawyers of the holy city of Najaf and the 2nd deputy head of the council of the holy city of Najaf. From this platform and in front of media in the holy city of Najaf I announce my resignation in denunciation and condemnation of the terrorist acts and the bombing of Najaf city and the holy shrine of Imam Ali. I resigned my post for this reason and I condemn all the terrorist acts committed by the occupying forces and the bombing and destruction of the holy city of Najaf." WIDE/ PAN OF HELICOPTER FLYING IN SKY ABOVE RISING SMOKE
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2004 13:00
  • Keywords: US Helicopters
  • Location: NAJAF, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAH5MCXKTJKEFYZQJYHTT8YE9T
  • Story Text: Series of explosions rock Iraq's holy city of Najaf.
    Clashes renewed in the holy city of Najaf early on Thursday morning (August 12) after a relative lull on Wednesday (August 11) dotted by sporadic clashes.
    A series of explosions rocked Najaf as fighting between U.S. marines and a Shi'ite Muslim militia entered a second week, witnesses said.
    They said the crackle of machinegun fire echoed from the southern parts of the city as smoke rose from the area.
    The U.S. military have threatened an offensive to root out militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
    U.S. marines said on Wednesday they were preparing a final assault on Iraqi Shi'ite militia in the holy city of Najaf, after a radical cleric ordered his men to keep fighting even if he was killed.
    Meanwhile Jawdat Kadhim, 2nd deputy head of Najaf's governor, announced his resignation in condemnation of the continued bombing of Najaf by international forces.
    "In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the compassionate.... I am lawyer Jawdat Kadhim Najim Abdul aziz al-Quraishi, representative of lawyers of the holy city of Najaf and the 2nd deputy head of the council of the holy city of Najaf. From this platform and in front of media in the holy city of Najaf I announce my resignation in denunciation and condemnation of the terrorist acts and the bombing of Najaf city and the holy shrine of Imam Ali.
    I resigned my post for this reason and I condemn all the terrorist acts committed by the occupying forces and the bombing and destruction of the holy city of Najaf," Kadhim announced to reporters on Thursday.
    The New York Times said that after preparing for a major attack on militia loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf on Wednesday, U.S. forces called it off as it was about to begin.
    But it said officers described the move as a postponement and said the attack could go ahead any time.
    U.S. officers with knowledge of the plans could not be reached for comment.
    The U.S. warning in Najaf came as sporadic clashes between American troops and the Mehdi militia echoed from the heart of the southern city, where hundreds have been killed or wounded around some of Iraq's holiest Shi'ite Muslim sites.
    Most of Sadr's men and the young cleric himself are holed up around Najaf's ancient Shi'ite cemetery or the adjoining Imam Ali Shrine. Storming such holy symbols could touch off a firestorm among Iraq's majority Shi'ite community.
    Despite the tightening military noose, Sadr has refused to surrender. The latest fighting has shattered a two-month truce between U.S. forces and their most vocal critic in Iraq.
    U.S. forces say they have killed 360 Sadr loyalists so far in Najaf, home to 600,000 people some 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad. Sadr's spokesmen say far fewer have died during the second rebellion by the militia in four months.
    In the past 24 hours, nearly 40 Iraqis have been killed and 230 wounded in five cities including Baghdad, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The figure did not include Najaf.
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