Muqtada al-Sader eager to cooperate: the Americans are guests and peace lovers

The Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader had considered "Saddam Hussein and his followers as the enemy of Iraq, rather than the Americans," whom he described as "guests" in Iraq.

In a statement circulated in al-Najaf city and the Iraqi daily published excerpts of its yesterday, al-Sader said that Americans are "peace loving people" and the existence of the American forces in Iraq are "that of guests," calling for that the "holy month of Ramadan will be 'the month of meeting of Iraqis and Americans in circles of peace and amity'."

Al-Sader stressed the need of preventing "bloodshed and wars and terrorism so as to have tolerance and amity among peoples." He called on the Americans to open the way for attending their councils and seminars, camps and churches.

The American forces had recently detained several associates for Muqtada al-Sader and prevented worshippers from heading to certain Shiite mosques. Recently al-Sader sought to form what he called "al-Mahdi army and a shadow government."