Sadr says "no compromise" as Shiite religious leaders warn US troops

[Tinoire]

Friday April 16, 11:08 PM
Sadr says "no compromise" as Shiite religious leaders warn US troops

Wanted firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr said Friday there could be "no compromise" with the US-led coalition, as Iraq's highest Shiite religious authorities warned US troops not to enter the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

Sadr appeared in public for the first time in two weeks at Kufa's grand mosque on the outskirts of Najaf warning US forces massed in a desert area nearby that they are "forbidden" to enter Shiite holy cities.

"We will not allow the forces of occupation to enter Najaf and the holy sites because they are forbidden places for them," said Sadr in a fiery sermon.

"I say that they are here to stay and will occupy us for many years and as such compromise will not work."

As Sadr spoke, scores of his banned Mehdi Army militiamen milled outside brandishing Kalashnikov assault rifles and missile launchers.

Meanwhile, a representative of Grand Ayotallah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric, warned coalition troops against entering the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf calling them "red lines."

<reluctant snip>

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040416/1/3jjke.html

[maddezmom]

1. Sadr is ready for martyrdom

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=512243

[candy331]

5. Bush has said when he says something he means it so

expect this "no mistakes", God guided dunce to give the marching orders to invade and all hell will break loose in the ME, and then the argument that "we are fighting the terrorists over there so they want come here will be blown to pieces". A slippery slope indeed.

[Dhalgren]

2. The US cares for nothing "holy";

the Army will go in and hell will come to earth. If these Neo-con Imperialists and their lacky military have their way, we will be plunged into a war that we cannot win and no one will be able to quit. Americans - we are a stupid lot.

[mike_c]

3. al Sadr to Bremer:

"We will be pleased to accept your surrender at any time."

[David Dunham]

4. Bush will go after Sadr and plunge all of Iraq into war.