Falouja is calm
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/12/2004

News reports in Falouja said that the situation in the city is calm and the truce which is valid as from yesterday morning is honored by the two sides.

The mediation to this agreement and member of the Iraqi Islamic party, Hajim al-Hosni, said that the two sides promised to honor the agreement whose first phase includes a cease fire, noting that the second phase starts with gradual withdrawal of the Marines from Falouja and the redeployment of the Iraqi security forces to keep security instead of it and then introducing a complete cease fire.

Al-Hosni explained that he had met with the American administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, after his return back on Saturday evening from Falouja where he had met the leaders of the Iraqi fighters in the city.

Leader of "al-Mujahideen group" in al-Falouja told the Qatari al-Jazeera TV that his group is committed to the agreement under the condition that the other part will do the same, noting that the cease fire started as from 10.a.m. and continues until 10.p.m. ( Baghdad local time).

On the other hand, Maj. Brian Burn said that the marine soldiers will abide by the truce to facilitate the negotiations, but he added they are ready to retaliate whenever they feel they are vulnerable.

The occupation also pursued another negotiation path with the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader. Sheikh Jawad al-Malki from al-Dawa ( call) party said that the coalition provisional authority in Iraq handed over al-Sader written proposals to end the confrontations between his militias and the occupation forces. al-Maliki said he had handed over the document to Muqtada al-Sader and found in him an inclination for peace.

He added that this documen called for desolving al-Mahdi army and honroing the state's institutions and the laws and the withdrawal of his men from public buildings. Al-Maliki stressed in a statement to al-Jazeera that common indicatos can be agreed upon over these proposals in order to save bloodshed.

In the battle field, news reports in Baghdad said that seven strong explosions were heard in various areas of Baghdad and warning whistles were heard also and smoke columns were seen coming from the headquarters of the American forces in the Green Area. The American leadership said it has no immediate information on the reasons of the explosions.

In Karkouk, four persons were killed and large number of suspects were arrested in confrontations that took place on Saturday between the occupation forces and armed gunmen in the east part of the city.

On the other hand, al-Jazeera screened exclusive pictures showing two killed men on the highway surrounded by several Iraqis. The voice accompanies the pictures said that the two killed men are among the American intelligence officers working in Iraq.

Sources in Musil police said that the woman who surrendered herself to the police directorate in Ninawa in north Iraq is a soldier in the American army and she surrended herself to the Iraqi police on that she is a Swiss tourist after she had changed her military uniform with Iraqi women uniform.

Previous Stories:
  Powell on CNN: Iraqi people want and deserve democracy   (4/10/2004)
  Washington lifts banned weapons sales embargo to Iraq   (4/10/2004)
  Two Americans, one British were killed, occupation restores back al-Kout, al-Sader warns his enemy Bush: Withdrawal or revolution   (4/10/2004)

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