Cleric Offers to Pull Fighters From Najaf

[maddezmom]

NAJAF, Iraq - Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agreed Wednesday to withdraw his militia from Najaf and hand the city back to Iraqi police, the government said, raising hopes for an end to weeks of fighting that threatened some of Shia Islam's holiest sites.


The announcement by National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie took place after U.S. troops arrested al-Sadr's key lieutenant in a pre-dawn raid. Clashes late Tuesday and early Wednesday between U.S. troops and militia fighters killed 24 people and wounded nearly 50 here, hospital and militia officials said.


There was no confirmation by al-Sadr. However, an agreement to abandon Najaf would be a major step toward ending his uprising in the south only weeks before a new Iraqi government takes power June 30, formally ending the U.S.-led occupation.
~snip~
more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20040526/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Jane Araf just reported live on CNNI that the US is taking the offer seriously....but no one has confirmed al-Sadr is on board.

[papau]

1. AFP reporting as if a done deal

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1504&ncid=1504&e=3&u=/afp/20040527/ts_afp/us_iraq_unrest_sadr_040527003232

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and a council of Iraqi clerics have agreed on a truce to end fighting in three contested cities between his militia and the US-led coalition, US officials said. <snip>

The agreement was reached late Wednesday in Iraq, and details of the plan would be announced Thursday in Baghdad, the official said.


The first official said the deal would stop the violence by Sadr's large and disruptive private militia, halt their attacks on US troops, and end their presence in government buildings in the three cities. <snip>

[PassingFair]

2. But, what about...

.. the outstanding murder charges against Sadr?

[Teaser]

3. So as-Sadr wins, huh

He has increased his stature, his following, and his political influence.

His army gets to dissolve back into the population?

He gets to defer charges indefinitely?

Odds are his followers continue the insurgency, only with IEDs and ambushes.

What fun.