Iraqi Delegates heading to Najaf

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The deadly showdown between U.S. troops and Iraqi militants in Najaf dominated Iraq’s national conference Monday, with tribal and religious leaders deciding to send 60 delegates to the holy city to persuade a radical Shiite cleric to call off his fighters.
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Late Monday, Iraqis at the conference agreed to send a delegation to meet with al-Sadr, who has vowed to fight “until the last drop of my blood has been spilled.”
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The delegation will travel in a convoy to Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, early Tuesday. U.N. envoy Ashraf Jehangir Qazi said he would join the mission if invited, spokesman Nejib Friji said.
- MSNBC.com article >> Iraq conference urges cleric to leave Najaf shrine

... My concern is this: Al-Sadr wants that government to stand down, didn't he? Whats to stop him from taking the delegates hostage? Our tanks 500 yards from the shrine won't -- because we're too afraid to storm the place but Sadr's people have no quarrel with using it as an HQ and firing position. Or maybe he's just using the "peace process" if he agrees to it to allow him time to rebuild his forces -- He'd still have his army no doubt, and their position within that shrine. In which case he'll just rise up again in a few months to cause another set of problems, and another string of American troops coming home in body bags. Though thats going to keep happening even without Sadr.