WRAP Imam Ali shrine, al-Mahdi, al-Sadr aide comments

(21 Aug 2004) 1. Wide of Imam Ali mosque 2. Various of al-Mahdi Army in streets 3. Various of al-Mahdi Army in streets 4. Al-Mahdi Army in streets 5. Journalists walking towards Imam Ali mosque 6. Interior courtyard of shrine, various of al-Mahdi Army with protestors 7. Protestors chanting "Allawi, how dare you attack Imam Ali!" 8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sayid Hazem al-Araji, al-Sadr Spokesman: "The Mahdi militia is in control of the old city and part of the new city. The lie promulgated by the Interior Ministry last night and yesterday made the whole world laugh. Al-Mahdi militia men are still in control of the old city and parts of the new city, by god's will. (Q Has Sistani's office received the keys?) I saw the delegation go to al-Sistani's office with my own eyes. A number of prominent figures (from Sistani) came. Administrative procedures need to be completed for the handover of money, gold and other precious items from the shrine. Then those who are staging a sit-in will leave and then everything will be fine. The new administrative office will take over. Al-Sistani's office has agreed to this in principle." 9. Various of Imam Ali mosque 10. Wide of street with damaged buildings 11. Various of damaged buildings 12. Close-up of hole in wall 13. Wide of deserted street, zoom in to people fleeing in distance STORYLINE: Militants loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered Shia shrine at the centre of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday, as they discussed with top Shia religious leaders how to hand over the holy site. "Administrative procedures need to be completed for the handover of money, gold and other precious items from the shrine," Sayid Hazem al-Araji told reporters. He added: "Then those who are staging a sit-in will leave and then everything will be fine. The new administrative office will take over. Al-Sistani's office has agreed to this in principle." Despite the stand-off, Najaf remained largely calm on Saturday. Occasional explosions shook the city, but the violence was at a far lower level than the fierce fighting that raged in the city earlier this week. The crisis appeared on the verge of resolution on Friday with the insurgents' decision to remove their weapons from the Imam Ali Shrine, where they had been hiding, and hand the holy site over to top Shia clerics. But the two sides were still debating how to arrange such a transfer on Saturday. Al-Sadr aides said they tried to hand the keys over to representatives of Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, who refused to accept them, demanding the shrine be evacuated first. The shrine's keys are for the shrine compound's outer gates, inner doors and safes. Sheik Ali Smeisim, a senior al-Sadr aide, said the militants wanted a delegation from al-Sistani's office to first inspect the shrine and make sure its treasures were intact so that al-Sadr's followers would not be accused of stealing or damaging anything. Only then would the militants leave, he said. Al-Sistani's aides say they would not send a delegation because of the security situation in the city. The proposed handover of the shrine to religious authorities offered a face-saving way to end fierce fighting between US and Iraqi forces and al-Sadr's militia that has killed scores of people. Earlier this week, al-Sadr's militants rejected a government ultimatum to withdraw from the shrine or face an assault. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d460bb16ac98bb74885ad46c5b4c5316

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