Iraq Notebook
Britain may boost troops by 4,000

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LONDON — Britain has decided to boost its troop strength in Iraq by up to 4,000, about 2,000 of whom would patrol the Shiite flashpoint town of Najaf, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper said in today's edition.

The Ministry of Defense denied any such decision had been made. "We continue to monitor troop numbers in consultation with our coalition partners," a spokeswoman said yesterday.

The British government has said for more than a week that it is discussing sending troops to replace 1,300 Spanish soldiers who are withdrawing from Najaf, which has seen heavy fighting between coalition forces and the militia of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted an unnamed Ministry of Defense official saying the decision had been made as a signal that Britain, President Bush's strongest ally in Iraq, remained committed.

"Not sending troops was never really an option because of the message it would have sent to the rest of the coalition," the official said.

Iraqi, U.S. talks planned to resolve Najaf standoff

NAJAF, Iraq — An Iraqi delegation plans to meet with U.S. officials today to discuss a five-point proposal for ending the nearly one-month standoff in Najaf between U.S. forces and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whom U.S. commanders have vowed to capture or kill.

Representatives of al-Sadr have already talked with a delegation of tribal leaders about the proposal, which calls for the cleric's militia to leave Najaf, and for al-Sadr not to be jailed on a murder charge until a new government is formed, according to Hakem al-Shibli, a member of the negotiating team.

The mediators — made up of tribesmen and a former judge — received the blessing of the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's most senior and influential Shiite cleric, al-Shibli said.

He said Najaf's tribes would reject any American demand to arrest al-Sadr, who is wanted under an Iraqi warrant in the death of a rival cleric last year.
 
The new proposal calls for withdrawal of coalition forces from the center of Najaf and the nearby city of Kufa, no U.S. patrols in Najaf and Kufa, a guarantee al-Sadr's militia will refrain from shooting at coalition troops, an end to any armed presence in Najaf, and a pledge that legal procedures against al-Sadr be left for a new elected government.

Ready for the 'end game' in forming new government

WASHINGTON — The United Nations and United States envoys this week will launch a final push to form a new Iraqi government. Secret discussions at the United Nations last week were held to expedite filling four leadership jobs and 25 cabinet posts, according to U.S. officials.

"When (U.N. special envoy Lakhdar) Brahimi goes in, he's almost ready to start naming names. He's ready to start pulling things together. He's into the end game. He's created a structure," said a State Department official familiar with the Iraq talks. "We could go from political anarchy to the end game in a few days."

Muhammed Bahr Uloum, a prominent Shiite member of the Governing Council, warned Friday that Iraqis would rise up if the United Nations tries to pick the new government.

"We are not under age in need of a guardian," Uloum said. "Iraqis are not a herd of 27 million people to be directed by Brahimi and the coalition. Iraqis will take to the streets if Brahimi insists on his view."