IRAQ : MEETING DECIDING ON NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AGREES TO SEND DELEGATION TO NAJAF TO CONVINCE CLERIC AL -SADR TO END CONFLICT WITH U.S TROOPS

Record ID: 648341

  • Title: IRAQ : MEETING DECIDING ON NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AGREES TO SEND DELEGATION TO NAJAF TO CONVINCE CLERIC AL -SADR TO END CONFLICT WITH U.S TROOPS
  • Date: 16th August 2004
  • Summary: (EU) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AUGUST 16, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF DELEGATES INSIDE CONFERENCE HALL 0.06 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FADHIL KHARSAN, MEMBER OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE DELEGATION, SAYING: "A committee has been established, it consists of 20 people, among them Mrs Dohar Sadr who is Sadr's aunt. The committee established consists of many members from many different districts, from our Christian brothers and other sections of religion. The number of the members is 74. They will go to the holy city of Najaf, they go to the holy site (mosque) and meet with Mr Moqtada al-Sadr." 1.03 3. SLV DELEGATES 1.09 4. WIDE OF (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUAD MASSOUM, HEAD OF PREPARATORY COMMITTEE OF THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONFERENCE, SAYING: "It's time that we seek a way out of it. If not, the government is obliged - on behalf of the people of Iraq and in continuity with what the conference has also decided, there can be no militia outside the rule of law, the rule of law must be maintained and the Najaf Ashraf (holy Najaf) and the mosque must be vacated of militants. That situation cannot be allowed to continue." 1.39 5. WIDE OF DELEGATES SEATED AROUND TABLE TALKING 1.46 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, BARHAM SALIH, SAYING: "The conference is making efforts [to help the talks]. If he accepts [meeting the delegation for talks] that would be to his benefit and would benefit of the Iraqi people." Q: ARE YOU... 2.00 7. SLV DELEGATES TALKING 2.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA8FXAPJ4KECJ04ZTOEDCU8A7RV
  • Story Text: Delegation to urge Iraq's Sadr to end Najaf fight.




    Iraqis meeting to pick an interim national assembly
    agreed to send a delegation to the holy city of Najaf on
    Monday (August 16) in an attempt to convince a radical
    Shi'ite cleric to end a bloody conflict with U.S. troops.

    Conference participant Fadhil Kharsan said a committee
    of the conference will meet with radical Shi'ite cleric
    Moqtada al-Sadr.

    "The number of the members is 74. They will go to the
    holy city of Najaf, they go to the holy site (mosque) and
    meet with Mr Moqtada al-Sadr," he said.

    In Najaf, militia loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr fought
    intermittent skirmishes with U.S. and Iraqi forces near the
    Imam Ali Mosque and an ancient cemetery.

    The move to send the delegation came after the Najaf
    fighting again dominated a meeting in Baghdad where 1,300
    political and religious leaders will select an assembly to
    oversee the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad
    Allawi.

    Senior delegate Hussein al-Sadr, a close ally of the
    United States, said the team would leave within hours to
    appeal for an end to a radical Shi'ite uprising that has
    killed hundreds and threatened to undermine Allawi's
    authority.

    The delegation would try to give Sadr a letter, urging
    him to leave the Imam Ali shrine and turn his Mehdi Army
    into a political party, delegates said.

    But the cleric has shown little sign of compromise,
    vowing to fight to the death if necessary.

    He has demanded U.S. forces leave Najaf and the
    government grant an amnesty to his fighters as part of any
    deal to end the 12-day conflict across eight cities.
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