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A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 12 November 2019
Top Shiite leader backs UN plan to resolve Iraqi crisis

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's releasing peaceful dem-
most powerful Shiite reli- onstrators detained since
gious leader said Monday early October, an inves-
he backs a U.N. roadmap tigation into cases of ab-
aimed at meeting the de- duction, and punishment
mands of anti-government for those found guilty of us-
protesters who have been ing excessive force against
rallying in recent weeks de- protesters.
spite a bloody crackdown The roadmap also calls for
by security forces, but he the political elite to publicly
expressed concern that declare their assets in Iraq
political parties would not and abroad, ban armed
carry them out. groups "outside state con-
At least 12 protesters were trol" and set up a new elec-
wounded in new confron- toral framework to be com-
tations with security forc- pleted within the next two
es in and around central weeks.
Baghdad's Khilani Square. Hennis-Plasschaert said
Most were hit directly with the U.N. would monitor the
tear gas canisters, accord- government's progress to
ing to security and hospital ensure measures were be-
officials who spoke on con- ing "done promptly, swiftly
dition of anonymity in line and decisively because
with regulations. Anti-government protesters are engulfed in tear gas fired by Iraqi security forces during clashes this country needs to move
Four others were killed over- between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Nov. forward."
night in clashes in a south- 11, 2019. The demonstrators have
ern city, raising the death Associated Press demanded the removal
toll from the confrontations of Iraq's political leader-
to 320 since the protests fice after meeting in the al-Sistani, without elaborat- peaceful demonstrators. ship and complain of wide-
began last month. Shiite holy city of Najaf ing. So far, however, there has spread corruption, lack of
Protesters ran for cover with Jeanine Hennis-Plass- As Iraq's top Shiite cleric, been no reaction by the job opportunities and poor
while police and secu- chaert, the U.N. special the 89-year-old spiritual government or leading pol- basic services, including
rity forces, some of them representative to Iraq. leader holds significant iticians to the proposal put regular power cuts, despite
masked, fired the tear gas But he said he was con- sway over public opinion forward Sunday by the U.N. Iraq's vast oil reserves.
in daylong confrontations cerned that political parties and has intervened in pre- Assistance Mission in Iraq to Shiite politicians, mean-
that engulfed the area in "do not have sufficient seri- vious times of crisis to wield address the protesters' de- while, denounced a state-
gray smoke. ousness to implement any influence over Iraqis. mands. ment Sunday by the White
Grand Ayatollah Ali al- true reform." If they do not, In sermons since the unrest The plan calls for a series of House that backed a pre-
Sistani said he welcomed he said, a "new approach" began Oct. 1, Sistani has ambitious short- and long- vious call by Iraqi President
the proposals announced was needed. sided largely with protest- term measures focusing Barham Saleh for the elec-
by the U.N. in a bid to end "The situation cannot con- ers, saying recently that se- on electoral, security and tion system to be reformed
the unrest, according to tinue in the same way it has curity forces had a respon- constitutional reforms. The and early elections to be
a statement from his of- before the protests," said sibility to show restraint with immediate steps include held.q

3 blasts hit north Syria town inflicting casualties

activists said. explosives but later said the hold in the country's north-
Northern Syria has been three were car bombs. It western province of Idlib.
hit by explosions that have said several people were Assad said in the interview
killed and wounded scores wounded in the blasts. that they are now giving
of people over the past Different casualty figures civilians some time to leave
months. are not uncommon in the the area, which is domi-
State news agency SANA, immediate aftermath of nated by al-Qaida-linked
which has reporters in the explosions. militants.
town, said the explosions Also in northern Syria, un- Syrian troops launched a
were triggered by car known gunmen shot dead four-month offensive on the
bombs. It said two blasts an Armenian Catholic province earlier this year,
went off in a commercial priest and his father as they forcing hundreds of thou-
street while the third ex- drove from Qamishli to the sands of civilians to flee
ploded near a hotel. northeastern city of Ha- their homes and capturing
The Kurdish news agency sakeh, according to Hawar the important town of Khan

People check the aftermath of a car bomb blast in the city of Hawar said the blasts killed and the Syrian Observatory Sheikhoun and several oth-
Qamishli, northern Syria, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. three people and wound- for Human Rights, an oppo- er villages and towns.
Associated Press ed five others. It said two of sition war monitor. A cease-fire stopped the
the explosions hit a market. Earlier in the day, Russia government offensive on
Associated Press with Turkey on Monday in- The Rojava Information Today aired an interview Idlib at the end of August
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — flicting casualties, while a Center, an activist collec- with Syrian President Bashar but in recent days, opposi-
Three car bombs went off priest was shot dead in a tive, earlier reported that Assad, who said his forces tion activists have reported
in the northern Syrian town nearby area by unknown the blasts were caused by will soon retake control of shelling and airstrikes in the
of Qamishli near the border gunmen, state media and motorcycles rigged with the last major rebel strong- area.q