GREAT NEWS-Preeminent Iraqi Shi'a Cleric Tells al Sadr to Observe Rule of Law

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني, Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی;. is the preeminent Shi'a cleric in Iraq. His proclamations carry much weight in the Shi'a community and the Army leader by the terrorist Muqtada al-Sadr. Last week al-Sadr said that he wouldn't disband his Army unless the Grand Ayatollah told him to. Tuesday he got his answer. The Grand Ayatollah told him that you did not consult me when you formed the army, you don't need me to disband it. He also advised al-Sadr's followers to turn their weapons into the government and to follow the rule of law:

Top Shiite cleric has nothing to do with dissolving Mahdi army - official

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq

Baghdad, Apr 8, (VOI) - Leading figure in Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Jalal el-Din al-Saghier, said on Tuesday that dissolving the al-Mahdi army is Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s responsibility, asserting that top Shiite Cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has nothing to do with this militia as al-Sadr did not consult the SIIC when he established it.

“Al-Sistani has a clear opinion in this regard; the law is the only authority in the country,” al-Saghier told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“The top Shiite cleric had not been consulted in establishing al-Mahdi army, so it could not interfere in dissolving it,” he added.

“Whosoever established the al-Mahdi army has to dissolve it,” he underlined.
“Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr established this army and it is only him who has to dissolve it,” he explained.

“Al-Sistani asked al-Mahdi army to give in weapons to the government,” the Shiite official said.

Muqtada al-Sadr warned he could resort to canceling the freeze on his al-Mahdi army if the situation required that in order to “implement our goals and beliefs.”