U.S. State Department says Sadr’s calls for revenge “outrageous”- paper

Iraq-CNN BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The U.S. Department of State has described calls by Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to carry out “revenge operations” against U.S. targets in Iraq in protest at the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip as “outrageous,” according to The Times newspaper. “Any call for attacks against Americans is outrageous and, frankly, not worthy of much more comment,” the newspaper quoted Robert Wood, deputy State Department spokesman, as saying. “A spokesman for the cleric said the words were not intended for all members of the Mahdi Army, a militia loyal to Hojatoleslam al-Sadr which has been turned into more of a social services network. Instead, he said, the call was to members of a special unit of fighters that has been maintained,” the newspaper said. In a statement issued yesterday by his office in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, Sadr called on all countries with Israeli embassies to shut down these missions in an expression of support for the Palestinian people. He also asked Iraqis to raise Palestinian flags over buildings, mosques and churches to demonstrate their solidarity with the people in the Hamas-run territories. SS (P)/SR 1