Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt (Ayatollah Sistani)

[La_Serpiente]

Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has survived an assassination bid when gunmen opened fire on his entourage in the sacred streets of Najaf, a security aide says.

The assassination attempt comes days before a team of United Nations electoral experts is due to arrive in the country to assess the feasibility of holding early elections along the lines that Sistani has demanded.

Sistani, revered by Iraq's Shi'ite community, which makes up about 60 percent of the country's 25 million population, is rarely seen in public and seldom leaves Najaf, Shi'ism holiest city, about 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad.

"At 10 o'clock (7 a.m. British time) this morning, gunmen opened fire on Ayatollah Sistani as he greeted people in Najaf, but he was not hurt," the official told Reuters on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

Residents said Sistani was travelling by car from his office to his home and stopped to greet passersby when his entourage was fired upon by at least four gunmen. It was not immediately clear whether any of Sistani's security team were injured.

more...

Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt

The Question here is "Who is trying to kill Ayatollah Sitani?"

[madrchsod]

1. holy shit

if "they" get this guy all hell will break loose and our troops will be in the middle of a civil/religous war. what the hell else is going to happen????

[La_Serpiente]

2. kick

:kick:

[Aidoneus]

3. **No attempt on Sistani's life**

Aides deny attempt on al-Sistani's life
Friday 06 February 2004, 14:32 Makka Time, 11:32 GMT

Aides of Grand Ayat Allah Ali al-Sistani on Friday denied reports that the Iraqi Shia spiritual leader had survived an assassination bid.

According to one of al-Sistani's communications officers, security guards arrested a man on Thursday as he tried to break into the Ayat Allah's office in Najaf, 160km south of Baghdad, to carry out an unspecified "criminal act".

Sheikh Abd al-Mahdi al-Karbalai, one of the Ayat Allah's representatives, said on Friday in an interview with Lebanon's al-Manar television that "arresting someone does not mean that there was an assassination attempt".

Al-Manar TV, owned by the Lebanese Shia party Hizb Allah, also quoted al- Sistani's son, Muhammad Rida, as saying reports of an assassination bid were "inaccurate".

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3DC0D8F0-06DD-44DD-B2A5-AECE548A5430.htm

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2004/02/06
No attempt on Sistani's life
10:08:23

Najaf, Feb 6 - The office of the revered spiritual leader of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, rejected reports on an assassination attempt on his life Thursday.

Saba television, affiliated with US command, had reported that gunmen sprayed Sistani's car with bullets as he left his office for home, which prompted a large number of people to gather around the house of the grand ayatollah to get informed of his health condition.

--snip--

http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=197902&n=31

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