- Title: IRAQ: REBEL CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR DEFIES US AND VOWS TO DRIVE THE AMERICANS OUT
- Date: 7th May 2004
- Summary: (U4) KUFA, ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NAJAF, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF KUFA MOSQUE 0.05 2. SLV SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR ARRIVING TO DELIVER SERMON 0.11 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RADICAL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR, TALKING ABOUT THE ABUSE OF IRAQI DETAINEES BY U.S. SOLDIERS, SAYING "It is to be expected that the U.S. president would apologise for the abuse of Iraqi detainees since he stood before the world and the whole world is against these immoral, inhumane acts that have nothing to do with religion nor with reason, but are connected to terrorism and sexual abnormality." 0.36 4. WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS CHANTING SUPPORT FOR SADR 0.40 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE (Arabic) SADR SAYING: "(The Mehdi Army) has placed you (U.S. forces) between two difficult situations either to withdraw or you stay and both situations are good for us, God willing. If you stay, those you made homeless will kill you, since resistance is a natural reaction to the occupation and if you withdraw you will also be defeated too." 0.59 6. WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS CHANTING FOR SADR 1.05 7. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SADR SAYING: "Saddam never claimed to advocate freedom, democracy, justice or equality but moreover, he acknowledged that he was a terrorist who suppressed people violently and ruthlessly, so when he did such acts (abusing of detainees), or worse than these acts, it was not unusual or, to be more accurate, it was not an important thing, because the terrorist can only perpetrate terrorism." 1.30 8. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PRAYING IN MOSQUE 1.49 (U4) NAJAF, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 9. SLV MEMBERS OF SADR'S MILITIA, MEHDI ARMY, PATROLLING THE STREETS WITH WEAPONS 1.51 10. SLV U.S. TANK IN FRONT OF GOVERNOR'S OFFICE 1.57 11. SLV IRAQI POLICEMEN IN FRONT OF GOVERNOR'S OFFICE 2.01 12. PAN OF U.S. TANK DRIVING TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE 2.08 (W5) KERBALA, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 13. WIDE OF STREET WITH AUDIO OF GUNFIRE 2.18 14. WIDE OF ANOTHER STREET WITH MORE AUDIO OF GUNFIRE AND MEN RUNNING ACROSS STREET 2.30 15. SLV GROUP OF MILITANTS WITH ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET 2.39 16. WIDE OF STREET (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) 2.47 17. WIDE OF SMOKE RISING , PULLOUT TO WIDE OF SCENE AND IRAQI FLAG 2.54 18. WIDE OF AMBULANCE AND PEOPLE AT SCENE OUTSIDE MOSQUE 3.14 (U4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 19. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF ABU HANIFA MOSQUE, MAIN SUNNI MOSQUE IN THE CAPITAL 3.19 20. WIDE OF GIANT IRAQI FLAG OUTSIDE MOSQUE 3.25 21. VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS PUTTING UP POSTERS OF RADICAL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR 3.32 22. ARMED GUARDS AT THE MOSQUE GATE/ PEOPLE COMING FOR PRAYERS 3.38 23. CLOSE OF POSTER OF AL-SADR 3.43 24. WIDE OF SUNNI AND SHI'ITE WORSHIPPERS CHANTING 'MOQTADA! MOQTADA! IN SUPPORT OF AL-SADR 3.50 25. CLOSE OF AL-SADR POSTER ON PRAYER MAT 3.57 26. CLOSE OF PRAYER BEADS 4.03 27. WIDE OF MOSQUE 4.09 28. WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS LISTENING TO CLERIC 4.17 29. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IMAM AHMED HASSAN TAHA, SUNNI CLERIC, SAYING "These acts (abuse of Iraqi detainees) have been committed a year ago but they hide them and now they are unveiled when the photos released and they said that there are thousands of these photos and this is an indication of the foolishness of the occupier. Attacks on honour makes things worse and escalates tension in the region. Therefore the people have to close ranks and raise up." 4.50 30. WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS 4.57 (U4) FALLUJA, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 31. WIDE OF SHI'ITE WORSHIPPERS FROM BAGHDAD'S SADR CITY ARRIVING AT FALLUJA MOSQUE CARRYING AL-SADR'S PHOTOS 5.00 32. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING AL-SADR'S PHOTOS CHANTING " WE ARE THE MEHDI ARMY AND SUPPORTERS OF AL-SADR" 5.24 30. MORE OF PEOPLE CHANTING FOR AL-SADR Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KUFA, NAJAF, KERBALA, BAGHDAD AND FALLUJA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA178NNB040AE7IGO1RFX6QBC4M
- Story Text: Iraq's rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr defies U.S. at
Najaf prayers as U.S. troops and militia exchange fire in
Kerbala.
Iraq's rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr defied
U.S. troops closing in on his militia army, vowing in a
Friday (May 7, 2004) sermon to drive out the Americans as clashes
in a nearby city left eight Iraqis dead.
"(The Mehdi Army) has placed you (U.S. forces) between
two difficult situations either to withdraw or you stay and
both situations are good for us, God willing," the young
firebrand said in front of thousands of chanting supporters
at the heavily guarded Kufa mosque just outside the holy
city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.
"If you stay, those you made homeless will kill you,
since resistance is a natural reaction to the occupation,
and if you withdraw you will also be defeated too."
Speaking of U.S. President George W. Bush's apology for
abuse of Iraqis in U.S.-run jails in Iraq, Sadr said: "It
is to be expected that the U.S. president would apologise
for the abuse of Iraqi detainees since he stood before the
world and the whole world is against these immoral,
inhumane acts that have nothing to do with religion nor
with reason, but are connected to terrorism and sexual
abnormality."
Sadr has sought sanctuary in recent weeks close to
Najaf's main Imam Ali shrine honouring the 7th century
leader whose descendants founded the Shi'ite branch of
Islam.
U.S. tanks secured the Najaf governor's mansion, four
km (two miles) from the shrine, on Thursday (May 6) as the
U.S. authorities appointed a new Iraqi governor to run the
city.
After sharp clashes on Thursday, militiamen were still
patrolling close to the shrine. Their leaders strongly
denied U.S. claims that more than 40 of them were killed at
Najaf. Local residents and doctors cited lower figures for
casualties.
But there were clashes on Friday at Kerbala, another
holy city northwest of Najaf, which killed eight Iraqis,
including three of Sadr's men, medical staff said.
Wanted for the murder of a fellow cleric, Sadr has
become increasingly isolated from the Shi'ite political
establishment. Elder clerics are angry at his fighters' use
of sacred sites.
Aged about 30, Sadr enjoys wide support among young men
from the 60-percent majority Shi'ite community oppressed
under Saddam's Sunni-dominated secular regime.
However, thousands of Shi'ite Muslims joined Sunni
worshippers for Friday prayers in Baghdad's biggest Sunni
mosque in a powerful show of unity with Sadr.
Carrying photos of the young cleric, hundreds of
worshippers crowded the mosque chanting support for the
firebrand cleric.
Echoing Sadr's own sermon in Kufa, Shiite and Sunni
clerics condemned the abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S.
soldiers.
"These acts (abuse of Iraqi detainees) have been
committed a year ago but they hide them and now they are
unveiled when the photos released and they said that there
are thousands of these photos and this is an indication of
the foolishness of the occupier," Sunni cleric Ahmed Hassan
Taha told the large congregation of worshippers who packed
the mosque.
The cleric warned that such acts could only fuel
tension in the volatile region.
There were similar scenes at mosques in the restive
town of Falluja, which had been seized by U.S. troops for
more than 2 weeks following fierce fighting.
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