Al-Sadr's Unclear Motives Muddle Efforts
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What's clear about radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is that he wants power, U.S. officials say. What's less certain is what he wants to do with that power or how far he'll go to get it.
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NAJAF: Radical Shi&#39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has urged his Mehdi Army followers to keep fighting the US-led forces attacking Najaf, but said he was willing to hand over the city shrine to religious leaders.
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The crisis in Najaf seems as far away from a conclusion as ever, after 24 hours of confusion and contradiction. The shrine to Imam Ali is still unquestionably under the control of Moqtada Sadr and his men, despite earlier government statements.
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In a single moment last week, all the mystery and contradiction surrounding Moktada al-Sadr, Iraq&#39;s rebel cleric, came into focus.
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Spokesman for radical cleric says Sadr is making plans to join Iraq&#39;s nascent political process, and those plans will become known in coming days.
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Muqtada al-Sadr's surprise decision to stand down his Mahdi Army for up to six months was designed to stop a Shiite-Shiite rift from spiraling out of control and to weed out infiltrators in his militia's ranks, according to aides of the radical Shiite cleric.
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Influential members of Muqtada al-Sadr's movement have urged the anti-U.S. Shiite cleric not to extend a cease-fire when it expires next month, officials said Monday, a move that could jeopardize recent security gains.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraq's radical cleric Moqtada  al-Sadr wants to negotiate arrangements to implement government  demands to end his uprising, his spokesman said.
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A plan to disarm militia has raised hope that Moktada al-Sadr will continue his turn toward entering the democratic process.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is considering extending a freeze on the activities of his powerful Mehdi Army militia, his official spokesman said.
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The US military clashed aggressively with forces of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as negotiations to end the standoff at one of Islam&#39;s most revered shrines remained stalled.
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NAJAF, IRAQ - Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr faces an Iraqi offensive on his Najaf stronghold within hours, despite his apparent agreement to lay down arms, Iraqi cabinet officials said Thursday.
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Friday&#39;s defusing of the three-week military standoff in Najaf has the disappointing result that Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his militia survive to fight another battle, threatening US military forces and the fledgling Iraqi government.
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This week's intense clashes between the Iraqi army and a Shiite militia are part of a strategy to whittle away the power of a radical cleric. But the high-risk gambit could trigger more fighting across the Shiite south &#151; at a time when the cleric's stronghold in the capital is virtually off-limits.
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U.S. officials appear to differ over whether Moqtada Sadr's mahdi Army should be allowed to protect Shi'ite communities
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Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has reportedly called on his followers to end fighting against US and Iraqi forces. Naim Al-Kaabi, an aide to al-Sadr in Baghdad, said the cleric has &quot;called for a halting
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The operation by U.S. and Iraqi troops may have been aimed at a cleric said to have incited insurgent violence.