The murder last year of Ayatollah Abdel Majid al-Khoei, for which the arrest of radical Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is being sought, was particularly vicious, resembling a death scene out of a Shakespeare play.
The killing eliminated a leading moderate who favored a democratic Iraq and opened the way for Sheik al-Sadr to take over the influential Shrine of Ali in Najaf, and with it millions of dollars.
A coalition investigator said a group of al-Sadr supporters armed with knives surrounded their boss outside the shrine on April 10, 2003, and asked him for permission to kill Ayatollah al-Khoei, who had gone inside.
“Now, by the will of god, attack,” Sheik al-Sadr reportedly said.
When Ayatollah al-Khoei emerged, he was first hit by knives and perhaps gunfire on the steps of the mosque. But he managed to stagger to a nearby shop, whose owners sought to protect him.
An emissary from Sheik al-Sadr came to the wounded Ayatollah al-Khoei and promised safe passage to Sheik al-Sadr’s office to clear up the “misunderstanding.”
Ayatollah al-Khoei unwisely accepted, said the coalition source who cited an eyewitness. As Ayatollah al-Khoei arrived at the doorway of Sheik al-Sadr’s small office, he was slashed repeatedly with knives and shot with a rifle.
With the cleric died one of America’s best hopes for winning the four-square support of Iraq’s Shi’ite majority.
The coalition investigator, who recounted the details of the murder in October, said that even then a legal case had been prepared against Sheik al-Sadr that was strong enough to arrest and probably to convict him.
But the Coalition Provisional Authority, afraid his arrest would spark a confrontation and lead to widespread violence, decided to hold its warrant in reserve, said the source. The CPA quietly put out signals to Sheik al-Sadr that he wouldn’t be molested if his behavior improved.
But, in the intervening months, Sheik al-Sadr continued to build his militia, and push the United States toward a confrontation, leading to the bloody scenes of the past few days.
CPA spokesman Dan Senor announced Monday that Sheik al-Sadr would be arrested on charges of involvement in the murder of Ayatollah al-Khoei. But he insisted the announcement had nothing to do with this week’s violence by Sheik al-Sadr’s followers.
The timing for the release of the arrest warrant depended simply on a decision taken by an Iraqi judge, he said.
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