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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James B. Foley, Deputy Spokesman
February 22, 1999

Iraq: Assassination of Shi'a Cleric Condemned

The United States condemns the killing of the Iraqi Shi'a religious leader Ayatollah Mohamed al Sader and his two sons in the Iraqi city of Najaf last Friday. We also note with concern reports that government security forces have killed civilians demonstrating in Baghdad and Nassriya against Al Sader's assassination.

Iraqi religious leaders and sources in the Iraqi opposition report that the Baghdad regime is responsible for the assassination. We would note that since 1991 the population of southern Iraq has been the victim of Saddam Hussein's widespread and brutal repression. This repression has been escalating since the assassination of two senior Shi'a clerics last summer. Mohamed Al Sader is the fourth senior Iraqi religious leader to be assassinated in less than a year.

We call upon the government of Iraq to abide by its obligations under UNSC Resolution 688. Iraq must respect the rights of its people and protect the lives of innocent civilians. To that end, we continue to support the efforts of the U.N. Special Rapporteur for human rights for Iraq to station permanent human rights monitors inside Iraq.

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