It is not clear when the group will travel to the holy Shiite city for planned talks with Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, who has been leading his followers in daily clashes with U.S. forces for nearly two weeks.
The delay comes as fighting was reported near Al-Najaf's Imam Ali shrine. Al-Najaf police chief Ghalib al-Jaza'iri blamed al-Sadr's militia for the renewed violence.
"The governor [of Al-Najaf] did his best to bring calm back to the city and reach a truce. We all love peace, truces, and negotiations, but those people [al-Sadr's militia] do not want truces, negotiations, and peace. They are treacherous and have no credibility. They are the ones who started the attacks on police," al-Jaza'iri said.
In Baghdad today, an explosion killed at least six people and wounded around 20 others.
(Reuters/AFP/AP/CNN)
For the latest news on Iraq, see RFE/RL's webpage on "The New Iraq".
The delay comes as fighting was reported near Al-Najaf's Imam Ali shrine. Al-Najaf police chief Ghalib al-Jaza'iri blamed al-Sadr's militia for the renewed violence.
"The governor [of Al-Najaf] did his best to bring calm back to the city and reach a truce. We all love peace, truces, and negotiations, but those people [al-Sadr's militia] do not want truces, negotiations, and peace. They are treacherous and have no credibility. They are the ones who started the attacks on police," al-Jaza'iri said.
In Baghdad today, an explosion killed at least six people and wounded around 20 others.
(Reuters/AFP/AP/CNN)
For the latest news on Iraq, see RFE/RL's webpage on "The New Iraq".
