The recent clashes between US Marines and the Mahdi Army loyal to radical Shiite Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf entered its third day on Saturday, leaving the holy city, 180 km south of Baghdad, in a new bloodbath.

However, what's more worried by Iraqis is that the unjustified escalation of the clashes would only result in more blood shedding.

A US military spokesman announced Friday that 300 Mahdi soldiers were killed in the past two days. While Najaf governor Adnan Al Tharfy put the death toll at 400, with 1,000 others arrested.

The Mehdi Army, led by Sadr, entered into clashes with the American forces in Najaf and other cities in Iraq during the past few months.

Both sides agreed to a truce in June in Najaf, one of the most important religious cities for Shiite Muslims, which contains the biggest cemetery in the world.

The new wave of clashes have escalated the situation in Najaf, where local people said the city is dominated by destruction with dead bodies lying everywhere in the streets. They described the clashes as the most intensive since the former regime of Saddam Hussein was overthrown 16 months ago.

Most of the battles in the past two days took place in the cemetery, which the US forces Friday night announced to fully control.

Some Iraqi officials have expressed that they do not object to the US military operation. The US-appointed governor of Najaf Tharfy, at the same time, urged for Sadr militia's withdrawal from Najaf by Friday evening.

However, on the other hand, attempts are being made to give roles to the followers of al-Sadr in the national conference due to be held on Aug. 15.

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced Saturday that he had invited al-Sadr to participate in the country's elections next year.

Earlier on Friday, Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jafari, a Shiite leader from the Daawa Party, even criticized the US military.

"I think that killing Iraqi citizens is not a civilized way to build the new Iraq, which should be based on protecting people and encouraging dialogue, not fire," he said.

He added, "I think such decisions should be made by the central government in Baghdad," criticizing the governor of Najaf for calling the Shiite fighters to leave Najaf.

Many observers think that the interim Iraqi government headed by Ayad Allawi was facing the problem of dealing with al-Sadr after he had proven the ability to gather thousands of young armed Iraqis to fight with him in southern Iraqi cities and the suburbs of Baghdad.

Even in the current battles, the government has been acting carefully in contrast to the Americans who appeared to decide to fight Al Sadr, for they have deduced that leaving Sadr alone is not less dangerous than fighting him.

The absence of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's highest Shiite religious reference who was in London for treatment of heart problems, started a wave of wonderings, for al-Sistani was the sound of reason and he had the major role in calming down the previous situations.

However, al-Sisatni's followers see that he is not in a proper condition to interfere in the US-Mehid Army clashes.

It would greatly weaken the Iraqi government and make it loose its credibility in front of the Iraqi citizen before anyone else, they worried.

It would also give the Iraqi resistance new reasons to escalate, which would embarrass the American forces and the administration of the US president George W. Bush, they added.

Source: Xinhua