Shia cleric threatens to rock Iraq govt

[NNN0LHI]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest_of_World/Shia_cleric_threatens_to_rock_Iraq_govt/articleshow/563563.cms

<snip>Followers of radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned on Friday they will suspend their membership in parliament and the cabinet if prime minister Nouri al-Maliki meets with US president George Bush in Jordan next week, a member of parliament said. Bush and al-Maliki were scheduled to meet on Wednesday and Thursday in Amman.

"We asked Maliki to cancel his planned meeting with Bush because there is no reason to meet with the criminal who is behind terrorism in Iraq," Faleh Hasan Shanshal, a senior official in Sadr's movement said. "We will suspend our membership of the cabinet and parliament if he goes ahead," he said. snip

Legislator Qusai Abdul-Wahab, an al-Sadr follower, said in a statement that US forces were to blame for Thursday's bombings in Sadr City that killed 215 people and wounding 257 because they failed to provide security.

"We say occupation forces are fully responsible for these acts, and we call for the withdrawal of occupation forces or setting a timetable for their withdrawal," Abdul-Wahab said. Al-Sadr's followers hold six cabinet seats and have 30 members in the 275-member parliament.

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1. al sadr has threatened this before -- so

we'll see if al sadr means business this time.

the results could be very interesting if they do -- and could provide more fuel for those advocate partioning.

[Boojatta]

2. What kind of accusations would be made after a withdrawal of all US troops?

Legislator Qusai Abdul-Wahab, an al-Sadr follower, said in a statement that US forces were to blame for Thursday's bombings in Sadr City that killed 215 people and wounding 257 because they failed to provide security.