Sadr Gives Up Najaf Shrine as Peace Deal Holds

NPR | By Ivan Watson

Published August 27, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

Rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr hands over control of the shrine of the Imam Ali in Najaf and orders his militia to disarm. Thousands of Iraqis flock to the holy shrine, celebrating a cease-fire deal that ends three weeks of fighting. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Ivan Watson

Ivan Watson is currently based in Istanbul, Turkey. Following the 9-11 terrorist attacks, he has served as one of NPR's foreign "firemen," shuttling to and from hotspots around the Middle East and Central Asia.

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