Sadr plans political party

Jordan Times, Monday, June 14, 2004

NAJAF (AFP) — Shi'i cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose militia has battled the US-led coalition since April, plans to form a political party to contest Iraq's January elections, a top lieutenant to the radical preacher told AFP Sunday. The aide said the party would build on support for Sadr's fierce rebellion against the foreign occupation, which has put up some of the strongest resistance to the coalition since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

"We are planning on founding a party to express the views of the people because they have placed their confidence in us," said Qais Khazaali.

"We have this idea and we are discussing it. If we found this party, it will participate in elections and it will be built on our popular base."

An uneasy truce between Sadr's forces and US troops is holding in the holy city of Najaf, where bitter clashes with coalition troops have claimed hundreds of lives.

Khazaali said the Sadr movement and the outlawed militia of the radical cleric, whose popularity has skyrocketed since he launched his uprising, would continue to exist to establish a "connection between the religious movement and the popular base."

He also warned that Sadr's forces would return to violence if necessary.

"We were forced into armed resistance... and we will go back to it if we have to. If not, we will return to political resistance."

It was not clear how an anti-militia law adopted last week by the new Iraqi caretaker government would affect Sadr and his thousands-strong Mehdi Army. Iraq's new Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has called the Mehdi Army an illegal militia, but also indicated he was open to dialogue with Sadr. The anti-militia law technically bans any militia member from politics for three years, but Khazaali said his boss has no interest in politics.

"Sayyed Moqtada Sadr has repeatedly said that he does not want any political post," Khazaali said.

"This does not mean he will not support people seeking political office."

Khazaali stressed Sadr's movement was truly interested in joining the national political arena for the country's first free and fair elections since the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown in 1958.

"We will participate if the elections are free and honest," he said.

"They must be supervised by an honest party."

The announcement came amid indications of a thaw in Sadr's confrontational stance.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python (Alquds, 1/25/03.

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