DATE=2/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245754
TITLE=IRAQ MURDERS (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB
DATELINE=CAIRO 
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: RIOTS HAVE BROKEN OUT IN AT LEAST TWO CITIES IN IRAQ TODAY
(EDS: SATURDAY) FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MURDER OF THE 
COUNTRYS LEADING SHIITE MUSLIM CLERIC.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT SCOTT
BOBB REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU IN CAIRO THAT SEVERAL 
PEOPLE REPORTEDLY HAVE BEEN KILLED AND NUMEROUS OTHERS WOUNDED IN
THE CLASHES.

TEXT: EXILED OPPOSITION LEADERS SAY THE RIOTS OCCURRED SATURDAY 
IN THE SADDAM NEIGHBORHOOD OF BAGHDAD AND IN THE CITY OF NAJAF, 
SOUTH OF THE IRAQI CAPITAL.

THEY SAY THE CLASHES OCCURRED AFTER THE IRAQI NEWS MEDIA REPORTED
THAT THE COUNTRY'S SENIOR SHIITE LEADER, GRAND AYATOLLAH MOHAMMED
SADIQ AL-SADER, AND TWO OF HIS SONS HAD BEEN MURDERED.  THE IRAQI
NEWS AGENCY CALLED THE MURDERS BRUTAL AGGRESSION AND SAID SEVERAL
ARRESTS HAD BEEN MADE.  THE NEWS AGENCY BLAMED THE ATTACKS ON 
FOREIGN FORCES BUT DID NOT ELABORATE.

OPPOSITION LEADERS BASED IN IRAN AND SYRIA BLAMED THE MURDERS ON 
THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT.  THEY NOTED THAT A SENIOR SHIITE LEADER WAS
WOUNDED IN AN ATTACK IN NAJAR LAST MONTH AND THAT TWO CLERICS 
WERE KILLED THERE LAST YEAR.  THEY SAID THE KILLINGS WERE PART OF
A GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN TO WEAKEN SHIITE OPPOSITION TO THE IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT.

SHIITE MUSLIMS MAKE UP TWO-THIRDS OF THE IRAQI POPULATION AND 
FREQUENTLY ARE AT ODDS WITH THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS DOMINATED BY
MEMBERS OF THE SUNNI WING OF ISLAM.

AYATOLLAH SADIQ AL-SADER WAS NAMED GRAND AYATOLLAH IN 1992.  HE 
WAS THE COUSIN OF A RELIGIOUS LEADER, AYATOLLAH MOHAMMED BAQIR 
AL-FADDEL, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1990 ON CHARGES 
OF FOMENTING AN ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN IRAQ. (SIGNED)

NEB/SB/DW/GE

20-Feb-99 1:14 PM EST (1814 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.