Sadrist Parade Next Thursday, leader says

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The coming Sadrist parade shall be next Thursday, Hazim Al-Araji of the Sadrist Trend announced today.  He told IraqiNews.com that all necessary approvals were granted, in addition to complete coordination with the security forces in order to provide suitable protection for the parade.  Sadrist leader Muqtada Al-Sadr called for this parade as peaceful, not military, in preparation to resist US occupation, if the American forces were not withdrawn in due time.  Araji expected that about one million Iraqis will participate, because the real figure is not yet known.  “The participants in the parade shall be from the Sadrist Trend as well as other religious, sectarian and national components from all Iraqi provinces”, he added.   Sadrist Speaker Salah Al-Obaidi read a statement on 9 April last threatening that Al-Mehdi Army will come back to escalate resistance if the US army was not withdrawn by the end of this year.  US combat forces withdrew from Iraqi cities and villages by the end of August, 2010 according to the agreement signed between the two countries, provided that the remaining 50 thousand soldiers should complete their withdrawal before the end of 2011. RM (TS)/SR 504