Sadr’s office denies U.S. contacts, Washington says ready for cooperation

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The office of Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has denied media reports saying that the electoral list sponsored by the populist leader made contacts with the United States.

Diaa al-Assadi, director of Sadr’s political office, speaking to Alsumaria News, “categorically denied” media reports that Washington had made contacts with Saeroon list.

“There are no channels of communication with the Americans…they do send us mediators but we refuse to sit down or cooperate with them even through those intermediaries,” Assadi said.

Reuters, quoting Assadi. had reported of intermediaries sent to the Sadrist group to open dialogue with the United States.

Sadr’s Saeroon came first in the Iraqi parliamentary elections which were held on 12th of this month. The list is currently in negotiations with various political forces that had run the elections in order to shape the next government as none of the contenders secured an outright majority.

Sadr has been a fiery opponent to foreign, especially American, military presence in Iraq and had supervised militias that fought U.S troops following the 2003 invasion. He has reiterated his desire for a technocrat government that transcends sectarian and political calculations.

Late Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson, Heather Nauret, asked in a press briefing about Sadr being a suitable partner for the United States in Iraq, said “ We will work with whoever the Iraqi Government and the people of Iraq decide to elect into its government”.