Iraq Ayaat hold US liable for bloodshed; UN concerned

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: Iraq’s Ayatullah Bashir An-Najafi and Ayatullah Seyyid Kazem Al-Hayeri in separate statements condemned the US occupying forces holding them responsible for the current bloodshed in the country.

Ayatullah An-Najafi said: “We hold the occupying forces responsible for the carnage in Najaf, Baghdad and other areas of the country… It seems they have planned to stir up sectarian conflict in Iraq with provocative actions to bring the Shiite and Sunni communities stand against one another. Therefore, we should exercise vigilance and contemplate on how to get rid of foreign occupation.”

The occupying forces are creating obstacles for the true representatives of Iraqi people to undertake administration of the country, he added.

In his statement, Ayatullah Al-Hayeri urged US forces’ immediate withdrawal from Iraq and called on the United Nations to set up a fact-finding commission comprising international experts and Iraqi religious leaders to prove that the occupying forces have embarked on provocative actions against Iraqi people leading the country to bloodshed and chaos.

He urged the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian agencies to undertake mission in Iraq and closely follow up what is going on in the country. The Ayatullah urged the people to exercise vigilance and give no pretext to the enemy.

Earlier, Ayatullah As-Sistani had issued a verdict urging all sides for calm. He condemned the way coalition is dealing Muqtada As-Sadr.

Meanwhile, UN chief Kofi Annan voicing grave concern at the recent bloodshed and deteriorating security situation in Iraq urged stepped-up efforts to protect civilians and end the violence, according to a statement released in New York by a spokesman for Annan.

“An inclusive dialogue and a patiently pursued political process involving all Iraqi constituencies are essential at this particularly sensitive phase on the road toward the restoration of sovereignty, stability and the rule of law,” it emphasized.

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