Aftermath of violence between militia and Iraqi troops

(25 Apr 2008) SHOTLIST

1. Wide of hospital entrance
2. Close of hospital sign
3. Wide of wounded
4. Various wounded
5. Doctor speaking to camera
++NO TRANSLATION AVAILABLE++
6. Various of wounded man in bed
7. Wide of street in Sadr City
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abu Baqer, Resident:
"Citizens in general are satisfied with this statement, especially since the statement calls for saving safe cities from issues of combat. But unfortunately, the forces of occupation are attacking safe homes."
9. Poster featuring cleric Muqtada al-Sadr
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Jabbar Abu, Resident:
"This is not new for al-Sadr. He is the sponsor of peace in Iraq. The first time the government began its drive for rule of law, it was Sadr who called for freezing the Mahdi Army."
11. Mosque entrance
12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdul Qader Mohamed Jasim al-Obeidi, Iraqi Defence minister:
"Frankly I tell you, we are capable of launching an operation in Sadr City anytime we want. But we have to think of 2.5 or 2 (m) million people who live in Sadr City and what might happen to them for the sake of a group whose members are not more than 400."
13. Cutaway cameras

STORYLINE:

Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Friday for an end to bloodshed amidst ongoing clashes between his militia fighters and Iraqi troops, saying his threat of an "open war" applied only to US-led foreign forces.

The cleric also urges Iraqi soldiers and policemen in a sermon "not to support the occupiers in combating your brothers".

An aide read his sermon during Friday prayers in Baghdad's militia stronghold of Sadr City.

The clarification came after al-Sadr issued a "final warning" to the government to halt its crackdown against the Mahdi Army or face an "open war until liberation".

A senior al-Sadr aide said the new message was also intended to be read in Basra but a delegation from the movement was prevented from entering the city. They read it in Nasiriyah instead, he said.

"Citizens in general are satisfied with this statement, especially since the statement calls for saving safe cities from issues of combat. But unfortunately, the forces of occupation are attacking safe homes," one Sadr City resident, Jabbar Abu, said.

But fighting continues in the Baghdad area, especially in Sadr City, a sprawling neighbourhood that is home to some 2.5 (m) million people.

On Friday, the US military said American and Iraqi forces killed 10 militants in overnight clashes in northeastern Baghdad. Most were killed by
Hellfire missiles launched from Apache helicopter gunships against groups of militants preparing to fire on US and Iraqi forces from different parts of the district, according to a statement.

Local hospital officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said seven people, including two women, were killed and 45 others were wounded in the clashes that were centered in the Sadr City district.

Witnesses said the clashes ended in the early hours Friday.

The Sadrists accuse Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a political rival, of trying to sideline them ahead of expected provincial elections in the autumn. But they appear divided over whether to launch a full-scale fight against US-led forces or focus on political efforts.

A decision by al-Sadr to lift a nearly eight-month-old ceasefire would jeopardise recent security gains and threaten an increase of attacks against
US troops.

Militiamen also fought Iraqi security forces to a virtual standstill last month in Basra before an Iranian-supervised truce.



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