The Pope proposes to mediate to rescue al-Najaf

The state secretary in the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sudano, said yesterday that the Pope has announced readiness to mediate in order to rescue the city of Najaf from conflict.

Sudano explained in an interview with the Italian official radio " if he is asked for that, Pope John Paul II will approve this mediation, the most important is all sides to be meeting around the table," for negotiations.

Sidano described the crimes' escalation in Iraq since months as " distortion for Islam and for the noble Iraqi people as a whole." He said " we call for honoring the sacred nature of Najaf city and simultaneously condemn all sorts of violence."