Defiant Sadr vows to fight on, die a martyr

"We are ready for any US escalation and don't expect otherwise from the American occupation," he said at a news conference in the shrine to Imam Ali. "My desire is to die a martyr in this country."

But Sadr said he was peace-loving and asked the American people to understand his desire for independence and freedom for his country.

"If you were in my place you would do the same, fight the occupation, kick them out, fight for independence," he said.

He told his militia currently engaged with US-led forces in the Shiite holy city of Karbala they were "heroes" and added: "Be brave and fight and don't let the occupier defile the sanctity of your city.

"Disbanding the Mehdi Army is a decision that has to be made by the high Shiite religious authority," Sadr said, distancing himself from any mediation or negotiation efforts to end his rebellion.

Fresh fighting with Sadr's Mehdi Army militia near a mosque in the holy city of Karbala on Wednesday left at least 20 guerrillas dead and seven coalition soldiers wounded, a coalition official said on condition of anonymity.

A witness counted the bodies of 14 Iraqis lying in a main road in Karbala, and said US snipers were targeting anyone who moved in the mostly empty streets.

American troops and Sadr's followers also fought overnight on the outskirts of the southern holy cities of Kufa and Najaf, and residents heard large explosions. One Iraqi was killed and four were wounded in Kufa, and four Iraqis were wounded in Najaf, hospital officials said.

Later, responding to a question on the fate of the Mehdi Army, Sadr appeared to be even more restrictive.

"Only when the occupiers leave Iraq and there is a legitimate elected government, only then, maybe, the Mehdi Army could be merged into the Iraqi Army," he said.

"The Mehdi Army is from Najaf and will defend Najaf and whoever says otherwise is not from us, and whoever cooperates with the occupiers is an occupier himself," he added.

Earlier Shiite leaders said they had agreed on a seven-point plan to end the fighting between the Mehdi Army and the coalition which has shaken Najaf, Karbala and other cities of southern Iraq.

The plan was announced after tribal, religious and political leaders ended more than four hours of talks with Sadr's key deputies Tuesday in Najaf, and Sadr's spokesman said "a deal was reached on all controversial points."

Mohammed Moussawi, of the Islamic Action Organization, said the plan, which still had to be approved by the coalition, had received the green light from Najaf's senior ayatollahs Wednesday.

He said the plan included the formation of a civil defense force of local inhabitants answerable to the governor and the transformation of the Mehdi Army into a political organization.

But Abdel-Karim al-Aneezi of an offshoot of the Daawa Party called the Mehdi Army "a popular, social and ideological movement, and not a militia."

The plan also provided for a withdrawal of coalition forces from around the holy cities and a postponement of legal action against Sadr, whom the Americans want to try over the killing of a rival cleric, until an elected Iraqi government is in power.

"US troops must withdraw from inside the cities and give guarantees that they will never enter them again," Aneezi said, adding that the coalition must also release prisoners captured during the conflict with Sadr.

Aneezi said the main Shiite parties, including the main Dawa and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which are both represented on the US-appointed Governing Council, as well as tribal leaders, joined in drawing up the plan.

Sadr on Tuesday made a conditional offer to end clashes after coming under pressure from Shiite leaders and a continuing military offensive.

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