Al-Sadr Offers to Remove Militia From Najaf

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Iraq’s national security adviser said al-Sadr had offered to remove his fighters from Najaf – except for those who live there. Al-Sadr demanded that US and other coalition troops “return to base” allowing Iraqi police to regain control of the city.

Mouwafak al-Rubaie, a Shiite and the government’s national security adviser, said the offer was made in a letter from al-Sadr to the city’s Shiite religious leadership.

The young radical also demanded “broad discussions” within the Shiite community over the future of his al-Mahdi Army militia and that legal proceedings against him in a murder case be deferred until then.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2982074

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html