Shiite Leaders Reject Sadr

Influential representatives of Iraq's most powerful Shiite leaders have demanded that the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr withdraw his militia units from the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. They also want Sadr's gunmen to cease using mosques in these cities as arsenals and return power to the Iraqi police and civilian defense units. The Shiite leaders want the U.S.-led negotiations regarding Iraq's future to be resumed quickly. A representative of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, who has close ties to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, told the New York Times that the majority of Iraq's Shiites reject Sadr and his militia's violence. He stated that Sadr is completely isolated in most southern provinces, even in Najaf, where people perceive him as having taken them hostage. On May 5, Sadr's gunmen attacked American and Bulgarian soldiers in Karbala with mortars, RPGs, and machine guns. In the ensuing battle, one coalition soldier and about ten of Sadr's militants were killed. President George W. Bush stated that Muqtada al-Sadr is attempting to deprive Iraqis of their free choice through violent means, adding that the violence we have seen is an effort by these extremist and ruthless elements to seize power. President Bush emphasized that despite the violence from Sadr and other extremists, the U.S. and its coalition partners remain committed to restoring sovereignty to the people of Iraq by June 30 and will not back down.