Sadr says, to withstand any U.S. presence in the Iraq

The Imam Hussein in Karbala, 110 kilometres (70 miles) South of Baghdad pray anti-U.S. of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr during his visit to the Holy Shrine 9 January 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Stringer
By Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD | Wed, November 3, 2011 4: 48 pm EDT
Baghdad (Reuters) - US-anti-Shi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Thursday that he would resist any American presence in the Iraq, including civilian, beyond to the end of the year, if all US troops almost nine years after the invasion, Saddam Hussein overthrown.
Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia once fought United States and Iraqi troops, has been against all U.S. military presence and his bloc is an important part of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki fragile coalition.
Sadr, "we accept no kind of U.S. presence in the Iraq, whether military or not," television said in an interview in the al-Arabiya aired.
"If they are in the Iraq, by a military or non-military (present)..." We consider it occupation and we resist it, what will be the course. Also a civilian presence, we reject it, said the cleric."
President Barack Obama wrote on 21 October all remaining US troops, currently around 33,000, withdrawn December 31 to Washington and Baghdad not to immunity for American soldiers would some of the Iraq.
But a large US Embassy will be maintained in Baghdad, along with consular operations in Arbil in the northern zone of the Kurdish and the southern oil city of Basra.
Thousands of private companies also functions as guardian and coach for Iraqi troops with U.S. hardware such as tanks and F-16 fighters.
Sadr galvanized anti-US sentiment after the fall of Saddam's Sunni dictator and led two rebellions against the U.S. in 2004.
His army was 2008 Mehdi was put down by Maliki and demobilized in most cases, although US officials say that splinter groups continue to attack US soldiers.
In September, Sadr calls his followers, attacks on US forces to ensure that leave Iraq the end of the year deadline suspend.
Although overall violence in the Iraq, from the top has the sectarian fighting is continue to Iraqi security forces in 2006-7, a dogged Sunni insurgency and Shi Shi'ite-militias, which still able of deadly attacks to fight.
October was the bloodiest month this year with 161 civilians, 55 policemen and 42 soldiers killed in a series of major attacks.
Thursday, six people were killed and dozens injured when two bombs in the northern city of Baqubah exploded while 12 people died and at least 70 others wounded in three explosions in Basra late Wednesday.
(Writing by Serena Chaudhry;) (Edit by Sophie hares)