Occupation forces besiege Iraqi contingent since 3 days al-Sader refused to desolve al-Mahdi army

The Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader refused all calls to desolve his Mahdi army under any condition.

In a speech in his first Friday sermon in Koufa following confrontations between his supporters and the occupation forces that "smoothness" (i.e. easy path) does not work with the occupation forces, stressing the sublimity of al-Najaf and the holy sites.

For his part, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, the representative of the prominent Shiite clergy Ayatullah Ali al-Seisatni warned in Karbala against breaking into the two cities of al-Najaf and Karbala in their being red lines that the occupation forces should not surpass in their confrontation with al-Sader.

In this context, witnesses in al-Koufa which is close to al-Najaf said they heard explosions and saw columns of smoke after the explosions, and saw scores of gunmen rushing to the outskirts of the town, as reports indicated that clashes took place with the occupation forces.

News reports said that clashes took place between al-Mahdi army and one American convoy backed by helicopters and tanks that broke into al-Koufa. Medical sources announced the killing of three Iraqis and wounding of seven in confrontations with American forces on the road linking al-Koufa to al-Hella.

At least four trucks loaded with armed men from al-Mahdi army group, led by al-Sader headed to the eastern entrances of al-Koufa, nearby al-Najaf where al- Sader is hiding.

In Karbala, news reports said that two Iraqi men were killed in the downtown of the city in an attack by light weapons launched by unidentified persons at a police patrol in one of the city's streets.

In a remarkable development, sources at contingent 36 of the new Iraqi army said that American forces enhanced by tanks and helicopters are besieging it since three days after the contingent refused to participate with the occupation forces in military operation in Falujja in solidarity with the citizens.

The American administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, criticized the performance of certain police units and civil defense and the Iraqi army, calling on the Iraqi ministries of defense and the interior to draw a plan in order to reactivate the performance of these units.

Two days earlier, the commander of the American central leadership Gen. John Abizaid said that units in the new Iraqi army refused to take part in certain operations carried out by his forces in al-Falluja and against forces of the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader.

In an attempt to contain the crisis in al-Falujja, the American military and civilian officials held direct negotiations, the first of its kind between the Americans and representatives for the city. This however, comes amid news that the American occupation forces summoned new units to break into al-Falluja which is situated to the west of Baghdad.

Al-Falujja witnessed relative calm yesterday after a two- day truce which the American helicopters continued bombardment of the city along night time.

News reports said that new battles erupted in the city on Thursday evening that resulted in killing 6 Iraqis and wounding other 11, while medical sources said the number increased to 15 killed and 20 injured among the Iraqis.

In Baghdad, member of the Muslims scholars commission Abdul Salam al-Kubeisi said that the occupation forces bombarded the besieged city since 12 days by cluster bombs and clashed with defenders of the city.

In a press conference, al-Kubeisi accused the occupation forces of violating the truce and preventing the access of relief items to the needy. He said that the American forces converted a juice factory into a detention center where detained citizens are tortured. He doubted the intention of the occupation forces to withdraw from the city, noting that the army is drilling trenches around it.

In Musil, the American occupation forces announced the killing of 8 Iraqis and wounding other 17 in attacks by mortars against the city which is situated to the north of Iraq.