- (Agencies) -- At least 27 people were today killed in
a mortar attack on a southern Iraqi mosque where supporters of the radical
cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were gathered.
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- The strike on the mosque in Kufa, which neighbours beseiged
Najaf, came as Iraq's leading Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani,
travelled to Najaf to negotiate an end to almost three weeks of fighting
between US forces and Mr Sadr's Mahdi army militia.
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- An aide said Mr Sistani, a moderate who commands the
respect of most of Iraq's Shia Muslims, had said there was no question
that the attack would halt his mission to the holy city. "We are making
our way. The crowds surrounding us are huge," Hamed al-Khafaf told
Reuters.
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- Television pictures from the mosque in Kufa showed dozens
of wounded men lying on the ground in pools of blood as others were ferried
to hospital. Survivors chanted angry slogans.
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- Mr Sadr's supporters were later fired on as they marched
to Najaf. A Reuters photographer reported that he saw 20 bodies under blankets.
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- The supporters, who had gathered at the mosque prior
to the march, blamed US-led forces for the attack. The US military had
no immediate comment.
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- "We were gathering outside and inside the mosque
preparing to head to Najaf when two mortar shells landed - one inside the
mosque and the other on the main gate," Hani Hashem, who was bringing
an injured friend to the hospital, said. "This is a criminal act.
We just wanted to launch a peaceful demonstration."
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- Mr Sistani had also called on his supporters to march
on Najaf, but today urged them to wait outside the city for instructions.
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- The 73-year-old cleric, who yesterday returned from being
treated for heart problems at a London hospital, arrived at Najaf in a
convoy of 50 police cars and 10 British military vehicles from Basra.
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- He is to unveil a plan to get the Mahdi fighters out
of the Imam Ali mosque, and for US marines encircling Iraq's holiest Shia
shrine to leave the city. His peace plan envisages Iraqi police taking
charge of security and the imposition of a ban on weapons.
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- The interim Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, said Mr
Sadr had indicated that he would accept all elements of Mr Sistani's plan.
He ordered Iraqi forces under his command to observe a 24-hour ceasefire
in order to allow talks on a peaceful end to the uprising.
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- Overnight, US warplanes unleashed a fierce attack on
rebel targets in Najaf. Heavy shooting and mortar bomb attacks also erupted
near the shrine, and there were outbreaks of gunfire away from the mosque,
indicating that fighting was taking place elsewhere in the besieged city
as Mr Sistani approached.
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- Mr Sadr has challenged the collegiate leadership of the
Najaf clergy, which is headed by Mr Sistani, presenting himself as the
face of anti-US Shia resistance.
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- The cleric has proved himself a stubborn opponent of
Iraq's US-backed government. US firepower and peace offers from Mr Allawi
- including the promise of a political role and amnesty for his fighters
- have failed to move his supporters from the mosque.
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- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004
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- http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1291219,00.html
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