Shiite Muslim militia leader Moqtada Sadr called on his supporters Wednesday to fight on against occupation forces in Iraq even if he dies a martyr in the battle. "If I die a natural death or if I die a martyr, I urge the Mehdi Army to continue to fight the occupation forces," he said in a statement handed out in the besieged holy city of Najaf.
| "Even if I throw myself on my knees and beg for mercy, keep on fighting! Even if I'm captured hiding at the bottom of an outdoor toilet, keep on fighting!" |
"I thank my dear Mehdi Army supporters in (the Shiite southern cities of) Basra, Amara and Nasiriyah, who have offered their soul and blood in the fight against the occupation forces," he added.
| "Somehow, miraculously, I remain untouched, not a nick, not a graze. It's uncanny!" |
Since Thursday, 22 people have been killed and 109 wounded in Amara; nine killed and 24 wounded in Basra; and 14 killed and 31 wounded in Nasiriyah, according to medics and the health ministry. But the statement also warned against calls from some Sadr supporters for Shiite southern and central Iraq to secede. "I advise you not to split the provinces because they are not our enemies," it said.
| "When we achieve our inevitable victory, they'll be there to send us tribute!" |
Meanwhile, the US military said Wednesday it was preparing for major assaults against Shiite Muslim militiamen in Najaf alongside Iraqi security forces. "Marines, US army soldiers and Iraqi national guardsmen continue joint training exercises in preparation for major assaults against enemy forces in the city of Najaf," the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) said. US marines, Iraqi national guardsmen, two reinforced US infantry battalions and a US aviation battalion are "currently working together to constitute the force that will conduct these major assaults," its statement said. |