The radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to "resist by armed resistance and by all means" to U.S. forces during a speech Saturday, January 8, before nearly 20,000 supporters in the holy city of Najaf. It is his first public speaking since his return to Iraq of a self-imposed exile of four years.At the same time, al-Sadr urged his followers not to attack the Iraqis and called for unity. "Our arms will not receive any Iraqi. We will target only the occupation by all means of resistance. We are one people and we do not agree with the groups responsible for murder," he added. "It takes forever to turn the page of conflict between brothers, and live in peace and security," he said, making the crowd back to the slogans "Yes, Yes to Iraq", "Yes, yes to peace "and" No, no to America "," No, no to Israel.
" If it ended in 2008 with the military activities of his militia, the Mahdi Army, al-Sadr remains at the head of a powerful political movement that played a crucial role in the process of forming the new government of national unity. On Saturday, he reiterated that he would personally away from politics.
The Sadrists have 39 members (out of 352) and received one of two vice-president of Parliament. Six members of this current also sit within the Iraqi government.
- You: Moqtada al-Sadr returns to Iraq (05/01/2011)
- In Iraq, apprehension ahead of speech by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr - Washington Post (07/01/2011)
- Sadr urges Iraqis to resist US 'occupiers' - AFP (08/01/2011)
- "Anti-American Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr" and related posts (06/01/2011)
- Factbox: Key facts about Iraq's Moqtada al-Sadr (05/01/2011)
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