Iraqi renegade tells militia to suspend action

Iraq’s fiercely anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called on his followers to suspend attacks against US troops to ensure they leave Iraq by a year-end deadline.

But the Shiite cleric, whose Mehdi Army militia fought US forces until 2008, warned that if they did not depart on time, military operations would resume and be “very severe”.

“Because of my eagerness to accomplish the independence of Iraq and have the invader forces withdraw from our holy land, it has become imperative for me to stop military operations … until the invader forces complete their withdrawal,” Mr Sadr said in a statement read out by his spokesman Salah al-Ubaidi.

“If not, the military operation will start again and with new approaches, and it will be very severe.” US troops are scheduled to withdraw by 31 December, but Iraq’s leaders are currently negotiating with Washington on whether to retain US military trainers beyond 2011.