By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Moqtada Al-Sadr has called off a planned mass rally against what he calls the US occupation of Iraq, the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, one of Al-Sadr’s aides said.
A member of the political office of Al-Sadr, Leqa’a Al-Yasin told KUNA Tuesday that Al-Sadr has issued a statement announcing the delay for a while, adding that Al-Sadr explained the reason behind the delay is that of fear of demonstrators’ safety and bloodshed.
The Mehdi army leader also warned in his statement of lifting the freeze on his army, in a sign of defiance following reports earlier of him dismantling his army.
Earlier, Al-Sadr criticized the government for its security deployments and procedures in various parts of the country, noting also that such security tactics are increasing as a “result of US pressure on the Al-Maliki government,” Sadr said in the statement.
The move was seen by many as a show of force in his continuing confrontation with the Iraqi government, which wants him to disband the Mehdi army militia.
On Monday night, another aide of Al-Sadr said he would only dismantle it if ordered to do so by leading Shia clerics.