Leading Shi’ite cleric calls for end to ‘blind violence’

IRAQ’S top Shi’ite cleric yesterday urged his followers to refrain from reprisal violence against Sunnis, his strongest call yet for an end to increasing sectarian bloodshed.

The statement by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani came as US military officials reported a 40% increase in the daily average of attacks in the Baghdad area.

US spokesman Major General William Caldwell said there has been an average of 34 attacks a day against US and Iraqi forces in the capital over the past five days, while the daily average for the period June 14 until July 13 was 24 a day.