By PAKINAM AMER
Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
updated 9:51 a.m. ET May 28, 2008
CAIRO, Egypt - A spiritual adviser to Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has issued a statement blasting a U.S.-Iraqi security deal under negotiation.
Ayatollah Kazim al-Haeri, a reclusive Iraqi cleric close to Iranian hard-liners and mentor to al-Sadr, said the proposed pact "spells out endless humiliation and disgrace" for Iraqis.
He calls on Iraqi leaders to avoid "defiling themselves by associating with this agreement" that could lead to a long-term American troop presence in Iraq.
Al-Haeri is believed to be in Qom, Iran, and his message was posted on his personal Web site.
The U.S.-Iraqi agreement is supposed to be finished by July, to replace the current U.N. mandate overseeing U.S.-led troops in Iraq.
Al-Haeri warns that the pact is "not binding...except for those who sign it."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24856229/
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