Prominent Muslim Cleric Urges Iraqis Not to Hinder U.S. Forces

April 3, 2003

AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar (Reuters) - A U.S. commander in the Gulf said on Thursday that a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the holy city of Najaf had issued an edict urging Iraqis to remain calm and not to hinder U.S. invading forces.

"A prominent cleric, Grand Ayatollah Sistani, who had been placed under house arrest by the regime for a considerable period of time, issued a fatwa," Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks told a news conference in Qatar.

"And it was done this morning, instructing the population to remain calm and to not interfere with coalition actions. We believe this is a very significant turning point and another indicator that the Iraqi regime is approaching its end."

A Reuters correspondent in Baghdad just one week ago saw a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani still pinned to the door of a main Shi'ite mosque in the capital saying Iraqis would "stand together against any invasion."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=578&ncid=578&e=6&
u=/nm/20030403/ts_nm/iraq_fatwa_dc