Muqtada Al-Sadr Calls for One Million Iraqis to March Against the US Occupation of Iraq Next Wednesday, in 5th Anniversary of the Fall of Baghdad

Al-Sadr orders 1 million march in Baghdad instead of Najaf-MP

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Friday , 04 /04 /2008 Time 11:23:06
Baghdad-Voices of Iraq
Baghdad, April4, (VOI)-

A Sadrist lawmaker on Friday said the Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered to stage one million-strong March in Baghdad instead of Najaf.

"People attending Friday prayers were informed the march would be in Baghdad, not the holy Shi'i city of Najaf as announced on Thursday." A Sadrist MP Salih al-Ugaili told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI) .

Sadr has called for 1 million Iraqis to march against the U.S. occupation of Iraq next week on the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The government says it will not try to block next week's march as long as it is peaceful.

The Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki ordered a crackdown on militia in the southern city of Basra last week, an hour after clashes and heavy fighting erupted with Al-Sadr Mahdi milita in Basra engulfing Baghdad and mjaor southern provinces. U.S. and British forces had to launch air and artillery strikes to support Iraqi troops.

The MP said hundreds of Sadr followers "staged sit-ins in the capital's Sadr City neighborhood, Sadr stronghold' which remain sealed off after last week's fighting.

"The sit-in ceremonies would last till further notice", he added, "the candles would be lit to call for ceasing imposing sieges on cities peacefully ".

Abu Jaafar, the official in charge of Sadr's office in Abu Dsheir, told VOI Sadr's office pitched a camp for a peaceful sit-in in Abu Dsheir upon orders from Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday to break the political stalemate and have the items of an agreement implemented," Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) by telephone.

Abu Jaafar was referring to a parliamentary committee set up to find facts about the armed clashes that erupted in southern Iraq last week.

Earlier on Friday Iraqi Prime Minister ordered an end to arrest raids in all areas to give a chance to gunmen to lay down their arms hours before the Sadrists go on a sit-in after the Friday prayers, according to an Iraqi cabinet statement.

"Maliki instructed to stop detention raids and give a chance to repentant gunmen to lay down their arms in all Iraqi areas," read the statement received by VOI.

"The premier also ordered to have the families that left their residential areas in all provinces due to acts of violence back home and grant financial assistance to the families of martyrs and the wounded in military operations."

The government's statement came after a media source in Sadr's office said "a peaceful sit-in would be staged on Friday to demand cessation of random detentions and escalations against the Sadrists."
AM

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