Iraq's Sistani meets Shi'ite alliance group

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Iraq's Sistani meets Shi'ite alliance group
23 Sep 2007 12:41:44 GMT

NAJAF, Iraq, Sept 23 (Reuters) - A delegation from
Iraq's ruling Shi'ite alliance has met the reclusive
Shi'ite leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to
discuss re-uniting the group after two parties broke
away.

The political bloc loyal to anti-American cleric
Moqtada al -Sadr pulled out of Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki's United Alliance earlier this month,
following the withdrawal in March of Fadhila Party.

-snip-

Sistani rarely leaves his home in the holy Shi'ite
city of Najaf in southern Iraq and makes few public
statements. But he sponsored Maliki's alliance and
is hugely influential among Iraq's majority Shi'ites.

-snip-

A spokesman for Sadr's political bloc welcome
Jaafari's meeting with Sistani and said
representatives from all the parties which originally
formed the alliance planned to meet to discuss
reviving it.

-snip-


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