...

Iraq's al-Sadr to halt attacks on US troops ahead of withdrawal

Arab World Materials 11 September 2011 17:42 (UTC +04:00)
Influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, known for his strong anti-US stances, ordered his followers to halt all military operations against the US forces in Iraq until their complete pullout from the country.
Iraq's al-Sadr to halt attacks on US troops ahead of withdrawal

Influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, known for his strong anti-US stances, ordered his followers to halt all military operations against the US forces in Iraq until their complete pullout from the country, DPA reported.

"For the sake of full stability in Iraq and the withdrawal of the US invasion forces from our sacred land, it is necessary to stop all the military resistance operations till the complete withdrawal of these forces," al-Sadr said, according to a statement received on Sunday.

"If the last US soldier withdraws from Iraq, military operations would be stopped indefinitely, but if they do not leave, operations would be restored with a new and powerful course," he added.

Al-Sadr is able to mobilize tens of thousands in support of his political aims, although his military wing, the Mahdi Army, has observed an August 2007 ceasefire, which is widely considered to have contributed to a decline of sectarian tension and violence in Iraq.

Established in 2003, the Mahdi Army was involved in major clashes with US forces following the US-led invasion of 2003.

The Iraqi government is negotiating with Washington over the number of US soldiers who will remain in the country to train Iraqi troops, after the agreed US withdrawal deadline.

Nearly 50,000 US soldiers remaining in Iraq are supposed to leave the country by the end of the year, under a deal negotiated in 2008.

Latest

Latest