Sadr Fighters Start Withdrawal from Iraq Holy City (Najaf)

[Wonk]

Thu May 27, 2004 02:40 AM ET
By Suleiman al-Khalidi

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr began pulling his fighters from the Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Thursday after making an offer to end a bloody standoff with U.S. forces that has left hundreds dead.

Squad commanders from Sadr's Mehdi Army militia told Reuters they had orders to quit their positions by noon (4 a.m. EDT).

Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, quoting a statement signed by Sadr, told Reuters the cleric was willing to pull members of his Mehdi Army militia who are not normally resident in Najaf out of the city and had demanded in return that a murder case for which he is wanted be suspended.

For the first time in days there were no major clashes overnight. As armed men began moving from positions, one squad leader, Ali Abu Zahra, said he had formal instructions from Sadr to move his unit out: "It was a written and verbal order."

more...
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5270093

[w13rd0]

1. I've seen this headline...

...in various forms (US pulls out, Sadr pulls out, cease-fire, blah blah) for a couple weeks now. Whatever...