Muqtada Calls For Us Withdrawal From

Juan Cole 03/21/2004

Muqtada calls for US withdrawal from Iraq

From BBC World Monitoring:

“HEADLINE: Shi’i cleric Al-Sadr denounces US presence in Iraq

SOURCE: Voice of the Mujahidin, in Arabic 1200 gmt 20 Mar 04

BODY:

Text of report by Iraqi Shi’i group’s Iran-based radio station Voice of the Mujahidin on 20 March

On the first anniversary of the US-UK led war on Iraq, Al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr denounced during his Friday sermon at Al-Kufa Mosque the US presence in Iraq. Al-Sadr said I never thought well of the Americans and will not do so. He added: We are seeing the results of the freedom that America granted, including the blasts in Karbala and Al-Kazimiyah, which took place on 2 March and led to the killing of more than 170 people. Al-Sadr accused the US troops of attacking Sunni mosques. “

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page