Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki put four conditions to stop his security forces attacks on militias, including Mahdi Army militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi official newspaper said on Sunday.
Maliki said that his government conditions "all those carrying arms, not just Mahdi Army, should hand in all heavy and medium weapons and not interfere in the work of the governmental departments," the state-run al-Sabah newspaper quoted Maliki as saying in an interview by the Arabiyah television aired on Saturday.
Maliki also said that the militias must turn over all those wanted by security forces, and finally, they should provide a list of names of those involved in violent actions, the newspaper said.
Late on March, Maliki led an offensive against Sadr followers in several main Iraqi cities, including Baghdad and Basra and warned that Sadr must disband his Mahdi Army militia or will be barred from taking part in the upcoming provincial elections.
Last week, Sadr threatened an "open war" against the Iraqi government if the U.S.-backed Iraqi troops continue to crack down on his Mahdi Army militiamen.
Source:Xinhua
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