LOC19:18
16:18 GMT
BAGHDAD, April 25 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi security authorities have barred key
aides of Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr from entering the southern city of Basa
on Friday.
"The move takes place a few hours after Al-Sadr's call for halting the
bloodshed in Iraq," deputy chief of the political department of the Sadrist
Trend Abu-Shuja' Al-Khafaji told KUNA here.
In a statement read at Friday sermons here Al-Sadr reiterated his appeal
for militiamen of his Al-Mehdi Army to continue observing the shaky ceasefire,
freezing armed activity and refraining from attacking government forces.
"In synchronization with the call, the Sadrist Trend formed a political
delegation including members of parliament and Hauza (Shiite religious
establishment)," Al-Khafaji pointed out.
"The delegation consisting of Hazem Al-A'raji, Mozhaffar Al-Battat, Suhail
Al-Aqabi, a number of MPs and me was tasked to visit Al-Basra to assess the
situation on the ground and restore calm there."
"However, the Iraqi security authorities denied the delegation access to
the city under unjustifiable pretexts," Al-Khafaji regretted.
The delegation kept waiting for three hours and contacted a number of
political leaders including President Jalal Al-Talabani and Minister of
Interior Jawad al-Bulani but to no avail," he pointed out.
"The delegation was forced to return to Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf city after its
aborted mission," he added. (end)
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