Top cleric in bid to end Najaf fighting
Iraq’s most powerful Shiite cleric was expected to return home from Britain today in a bid to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between US forces and Shiite militants in the holy city of Najaf.
Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, 73, has been in London for medical treatment since August 6, one day after clashes erupted in Najaf. The cleric wields enormous influence among Shiite Iraqis and his return could play a crucial role in stabilising the crisis.
