Cleric spokesman: Cease-fire in Baghdad‘s Sadr City

By SELCAN HACAOGLU, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Shiite militants agreed on a ceasefire in Baghdad‘s embattled neighborhood of Sadr City, an aide to a high level cleric said Saturday, holding out hope that weeks of clashes in the capital could be at an end.

Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, an aide to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the cease-fire will go into effect Sunday.

It is not believed that the bulk of the 60,000-string Mahdi Army has participated in the clashes, but mostly just splinter groups that have refused to honor a general cease-fire ordered by al-Sadr last August. Al-Sadr has directed his supporters to only fight when attacked.

"Government security forces have the right to pursue wanted people legally with respect to the principles of human rights and anyone from police and other security forces who violates this will be sued according to the law," al-Obeidi said

Al-Obeidi said an agreement had been reached between the governing United Iraqi Alliance and the Sadrists.

He said "the agreement stipulates that Mahdi Army will stop fighting in Sadr City and will stop displaying arms in public. In return, the government will stop random raids against al-Sadr followers and open all closed roads that lead to Sadr City."

"This document does not call for disbanding al-Mahdi Army or laying down their arms," al-Obeidi said, rejecting a previous call by al-Maliki.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, the commander of military operations in the northern city of Mosul, issued a statement on Saturday announcing Operation Lion‘s Roar and Righteousness Battle against al-Qaida in Iraq.

Provincial forces are "undertaking a new phase of operations in Mosul to counter the terrorist threat there," said Maj. John C. Hall, a military spokesman in Baghdad. "These operations build on operations that have been under way for the past several weeks, targeting al-Qaida in Iraq cells."

In January, Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised his military was preparing for a "decisive" showdown with insurgents in Mosul, about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. But no major offensives were mounted, even as al-Qaida in Iraq tried to exert its influence in Iraq‘s third-largest city through attacks and intimidation until now.

On Friday evening, Iraqi officials imposed an indefinite vehicle ban in the northern province of Nineveh, which includes Mosul. Brig. Gen. Khalid Abdul-Sattar, the provincial security spokesman, said Friday the ban was prompted by intelligence that Sunni insurgents might carry out car bombings.

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Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin and Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.



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