BAGHDAD — Iraq's anti-American Shiite cleric has launched an initiative calling for peaceful coexistence among all Iraqis after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militiamen were blamed for sectarian killings during the worst years of Iraq's violence, is seeking to assert his political weight in post-U.S. troops Iraq.
The initiative comes as a government crisis has strained ties between two main Muslim sects, Sunnis and Shiites to the breaking point, and just two days after a terrifying wave of Baghdad bombings killed 69 people and wounded nearly 200.
Al-Sadr's associates on Saturday handed out to the media his 14-point "peace code" proposal. It warns against spilling Iraqi blood and urges respect for all religions, sects and ethnic groups.
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