Iraq troublespot sealed off, Italy lobbies for release of hostages

TALL AFAR, Iraq (AFP) - Top Sunni Muslim clerics accused the US-led coalition of waging "genocide" in Iraq (news - web sites), after US-led air and ground assaults on insurgents in Tall Afar and Fallujah killed at least 57 people.

Italian officials meanwhile lobbied for help in securing the release of two kidnapped aid workers after militants loyal to Al-Qaeda's number two purportedly gave Italy 24 hours to pledge to free Muslim women prisoners in Iraq.

An internet statement in the name of the Ansar al-Zawahiri group appeared after Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s right-hand man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, warned in a video that US defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) was only "a matter of time."

As US-led operations to rid the northern Tall Afar of "terrorists" continued, Sheikh Abdel Ghaffur al-Samarrai told worshippers the assault on the small mainly Shiite Turkmen town qualified as genocide.

"What have the residents of Fallujah and Tall Afar done to deserve these atrocities? The occupation forces are committing genocide," he said.

"They came to Iraq to kill, destroy and strip its resources. Where is the UN Security Council?" the leading cleric asked.

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In Ankara, Turkey urged Washington to halt urgently its "disproportionate" use of force and said the government was following events with "great concern".

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040910/ts_afp/iraq

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