Sadr makes public appearance in Iraq
Ap, Baghdad
Radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appeared in public for the first time in months on Friday and delivered a fiery anti-American sermon in the holy Shia city of Kufa. "No, no for the devil. No, no for America. No, no for the occupation. No, no for Israel," he chanted at the start of his speech. The roughly 6,000 worshippers in the mosque repeated after him. Al-Sadr had gone into hiding in Iran four months ago at the start of the Baghdad security crackdown, but US military officials said early Friday that he had returned to the holy city of Najaf, where he has a house. Residents in Najaf said they saw his motorcade leaving the city and heading toward Kufa on Friday morning. The black-turbaned leader then entered the revered mosque for prayers. The 33-year-old leader has had an antagonistic relationship with the United States. He is believed to have been honing plans to consolidate political gains and foster ties with Iran. His associates have said his strategy is based in part on a belief that Washington will soon start reducing troop strength, leaving behind a huge hole in Iraq's security and political power structure.
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Residents of Baghdad's notorious Sadr City district inspect the scene of devastation in a marketplace hit by an airstrike early yesterday. US and Iraqi forces captured an Iraqi militant accused of "acting as a proxy for an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officer" Thursday after a fierce gunbattle. PHOTO: AFP |
