InfoAnda - Iraq Shi'ite militia says ready to lay down weapons |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Snow storm stalls search for missing Ore. climbers | 16 December 2009
'Do The Right Thing' still asks burning questions | 29 June 2009
Cowboys, dectectives among 'Amazing Race' teams | 22 January 2010

Emmy voters favor fresh, complex drama series | | 12 August 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Iraq Shi'ite militia says ready to lay down weapons |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Davos 2012 Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh James Saft Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Geraldine Fabrikant Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Money Money Home Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Life & Culture Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice A selection of our best photos from the last 24 hours. Full Article Images of December Best photos of the year Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Obama plans to cut tens of thousands of ground troops 04 Jan 2012 Analysis: Iran could close Hormuz -- but not for long | 3:48pm EST New Pentagon strategy stresses Asia, cyber, drones | 4:02pm EST Suspect in Utah shooting was Iraq vet: neighbor 2:38pm EST "Rage against Americans" cited in L.A. arson case | 8:35am EST Discussed 136 Obama to help unveil ”realistic” military plan 130 Iran threatens action if U.S. carrier returns: IRNA 82 With 48 hours left, Romney eyes Iowa breakthrough Watched iPhone look-alike flies off shelves in China Wed, Jan 4 2012 Iran fires radar-beating missile during Gulf drill Sun, Jan 1 2012 iPhone look-alike flies off shelves in China Tue, Jan 3 2012 Iraq Shi'ite militia says ready to lay down weapons Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Bombs target Iraqi Shi'ites, kill at least 73 2:39pm EST Timeline: Deadliest attacks in Iraq in last year 8:17am EST Analysis: Blocs pursue short-term fixes for Iraq political crisis Mon, Jan 2 2012 Iraq celebrates U.S. withdrawal Sat, Dec 31 2011 Iraqi al Qaeda group says behind Baghdad bombings Tue, Dec 27 2011 Analysis & Opinion Talking to the Taliban:an elusive peace in Afghanistan In Pakistan, history may not even rhyme, let alone repeat Related Topics World » Iraq » Iraq's Shi'ite militia leader Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib al-Haq, speaks to Reuters during an interview in Baghdad January 4, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Kareem Raheem By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD | Thu Jan 5, 2012 1:14pm EST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The leader of a Shi'ite militia which carried out some of the most prominent attacks on foreigners during the Iraq war, said the group will lay down its weapons and is prepared to join the political process. "This stage of the military conflict between the Iraqi armed resistance and the occupation forces is over, with a distinct, historic Iraqi victory and a distinct, historic U.S. failure," Qais al-Khazali told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. Khazali also said the group was willing to hand over the remains of British bodyguard Alan McMenemy, kidnapped along with four others in 2007, without conditions. "We believe that we have carried out our role regarding the liberation of our country and restoring its sovereignty. This political achievement could not have been done without the Iraqi armed resistance," cleric Khazali said. "We have concluded this stage, thank God." Along with Sunni militants linked to al Qaeda, Asaib al-Haq, Kata'ib Hizballah and other Mehdi Army splinters have been considered major players on the Iraq battlefield in recent years. U.S. officials say Asaib al-Haq is funded by Iraq's Shi'ite neighbor, Iran, and has frequently blamed it and Kata'ib Hizballah for attacks on American troops, the last of whom left Iraq on December 18. Asked about Khazali's stated intention to end Asaib's role in the armed conflict, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey said: "We've heard it before." "They have been conducting attacks up until last week, so we'll see," Jeffrey said. "Certainly anybody laying down their weapons at any time in Iraq is a good thing." Khazali refused to address the U.S. allegation that Asaib al-Haq is funded and armed by Iraq's Shi'ite neighbor. "This is considered a part of the armed resistance's secrets and cannot be revealed," he said. "Whether Iran or any other side is one of our sources of support cannot be told. We will not confirm or deny it." It was not immediately clear what the impact of the disarmament pledge would be on sectarian tensions in Iraq, where the Shi'ite prime minister is trying to unseat two leading Sunni politicians and recent attacks have killed dozens of people in Shi'ite areas. Khazali said his group would not join Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, as had been rumored in recent days, but would work to form an opposition front. "For sure, we won't join the government ... we won't be a part of this government or its ministers," said Khazali, who wore a cleric's white headdress and gray religious garb, and a large ring bearing the names of the 12 Shi'ite imams. "The political process in Iraq is weak, and based on one leg ... there is no opposition side to watch the government work, criticize it and evaluate its performance." ASAIB ATTACKS Born in 1974 in the impoverished Sadr City area of Baghdad, the charismatic Khazali has long been touted as a potential political candidate. He was a spokesman for fellow Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr early in the war but split with his Mehdi Army in late 2005 to form Asaib al-Haq. Speaking at one of his own TV studios in northern Baghdad, Khazali recounted with pride the operations carried out by Asaib al-Haq during the war, including the brazen kidnapping of McMenemy, computer programmer Peter Moore and three other guards from a downtown Baghdad Finance Ministry building. He said Asaib also was responsible for an attack in the city of Kerbala in 2007 that killed five U.S. soldiers. Khazali was in U.S. custody at the time of both attacks. Neither British nor Iraqi officials have publicly linked the release of Khazali to the efforts to free Moore and recover the guards' bodies. But Khazali said he was freed, after about three years at the American prison Camp Cropper, just a few hours before Asaib handed Moore over to Iraqi authorities in the capital's heavily fortified Green Zone in late December 2009. He also said negotiations to free Moore resulted in the release of 285 Iraqi detainees, most of them Asaib fighters. "I am proud of my brothers. This resistance group succeeded in getting its leader out of jail," he said. "I think that was an achievement which no one accomplishes anywhere." He denied his militia was involved in the sectarian slaughter that took thousands of lives in 2006-07 and said he is not wanted by the Iraqi government for any crime. His former ally, Moqtada al-Sadr said recently in a response published on his website to a question about speculation Asaib al-Haq would join the government: "All of them, their hands are stained with Iraqi blood and they need to be held accountable, and eradicated." Khazali expressed regret for the deaths of Moore's four bodyguards, who he said were killed when they tried to escape their captors. Three of the bodies have been returned and Khazali said his group is ready to hand over the remains of the fourth, McMenemy, without conditions. He denied that Moore spent any of his time in captivity in Iran, as at least one U.S. official has suggested. "Peter Moore did not leave Iraqi soil, even for a moment ... he was (moved) between Nassiriya and Amara (in southern Iraq)," he said. "The allegations that he was sent to Iran was to cover the intelligence failures of the U.S. and British services to find him for years." (Writing by Jim Loney; editing by Philippa Fletcher) World Iraq Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 6 January 2012
Screws tighten on Iran as big buyers shun its oil |
Iraq Shi'ite militia says ready to lay down weapons |
Israel, Palestinians to meet on Monday, U.S. says |
Italy PM Monti takes stability message to Europe |
Kenya seizes explosive equipment near Somali border |
AT&T says will complete wireless network upgrade by end 2013 |
Zynga releases first mobile game since IPO |
Hacker mounts second attack on Israeli credit cards |
Social media threat to adopted children grows in UK |
GM offers fix to Volt to prevent fire risk |
Mila Kunis is newest face of Dior |
Jeremey Renner unscathed in bloody Thai bar brawl |
U.S. photojournalist Eve Arnold, 99, dies in London |
Bridesmaids, The Help among Writers Guild nominations |
Iron Lady or monster? Thatcher film stirs UK passions |
Screws tighten on Iran as big buyers shun its oil |
Turkish ex-army chief ordered held in jail for trial |
Fidel Castro says world marching into abyss with shale gas |
Gunmen kill 6 in Nigeria church attack |
Mexico turns up the heat on drug lord Guzman |
Libyan soldiers demand salaries |
Myanmar's Suu Kyi, UK's Hague in tune on sanctions |
Woodford to sue Olympus for unfair dismissal |
Smartphones power Samsung to record Q4 profit |
LG Elec says joins Google to roll out Google TV |
Digital music service Grooveshark sued by EMI |
Analysis: Molly, Crackers and consumer power gone viral |
Contest seeks world's most energy-efficient TV |
Kanye West floods Twitter with train of thoughts |
Singer Etta James leaves hospital |
Mila Kunis is newest face of Dior |
Joe Jackson's tribute perfume gets new launch date |
Jeremy Renner unscathed in bloody Thai bar brawl |
Bridesmaids in, War Horse out of writers awards |
Suicide bomb kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian agency |
Pakistan's former envoy to U.S. caught in web of scandal |
Latest Egypt vote brings Islamists closer to win |
Van der Sloot to plead guilty for murder in Peru |
Pope names new cardinals who'll choose successor |
Insight: Economic horizons darken for ANC-ruled South Africa |
London volunteers warned over social media use |
HTC quarterly net lags forecast amid tough competition |
Israel concerned may be under cyber attack |
Green cars headline auto show, but India not ready |
Harry Potter conjures up a Golden Tomato |
Rolling Stones' Keith Richards has eye surgery |
MUSIC: Can punk or rock push divas off the top? |
Van Halen to kick off tour, album in February |
British PM Cameron criticizes Thatcher film's timing |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01