Iraq's most influential Shiite Muslim cleric warned of "new grave problems" if nothing is done to stem the proliferation of firearms in the country and blamed recent clashes between his supporters and followers of a radical cleric on the weakness of the central government. Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, spiritual leader of most of Iraq's Shiite majority, also warned that there could be "no substitute" for a general election to choose delegates to a convention to draft a new constitution despite US demands for a quicker selection process. His comments were in reply to a reporter's written questions submitted to his office in Najaf. His written replies bore his office's seal, meaning they were considered official statements. Al-Sistani's demand for measures against illegal arms possession appeared to be a call on US and Iraqi authorities to take action against the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, a militia set up by firebrand cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, whose members fought nightlong battles against Al-Sistani's supporters a week ago in the holy Shiite city of Karbala.
| The Boy Ayatollah moving against Sistani's people can't make him feel more secure, despite the fact that Sadr was smacked down. I'm sure he remembers what happened to Khoei just a few months ago. |
Al-Sadr, a populist cleric whose militants message appeals to poor and young Shiites but who lacks Al-Sistani's scholarly weights, has been flaunting his army recently, allowing recruits to parade with their firearms in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala as well as in a Shiite-dominated Baghdad district. |