Anti-U.S. Shiite cleric delivers first speech

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr delivered first speech to Iraqi people on Saturday following his return to the country after years of exile in neighboring Iran.

Thousands of Sadr followers gathered in the city of Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, to meet with Sadr who delivered a speech condemning the United States occupation of Iraq and calling for Iraqis to unite.

"No, no to America and Yes, yes to resistance," his followers chanted.

Sadr told his followers that the United States, Israel and Britain are the "common enemies" against all the Iraqi people, urging Iraqis to resist the "occupation by all means, but not necessarily with arms."

"We are still resisting the occupation, militarily and culturally," Sadr said.

"But that doesn't mean that every one has to hold his arms. The arms are only for those who are authorized to hold them, Sadr said, adding "our hands will not touch any Iraqi."

He also called on Maliki's government to meet its promise and fulfill the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.

Sadr called on his followers to give the new Iraqi government, headed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, an opportunity to prove that it can serve the people, but warned if it failed his followers will pursue peaceful means to reform it.

"If the new government can serve the people and provide services and security, we will be with it, but if it could not, there will be political means to reform it," Sadr said.

On Wednesday, Sadr returned home in Najaf after more than three years when he left the country to neighboring Iran and stayed in the Iranian city of Qom for Shiite religious studies.

Sadr, in his 30s, gained popularity among younger Shiite Iraqis by his anti-American rhetoric since the toppling of former president Saddam Hussein's government by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. His Mahdi Army militia has been fighting against U.S. troops and was one of the major forces in the sectarian strife in Iraq that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

The cleric's return seems to be part of relief between his group and Maliki's Dawa Party despite Maliki led a crackdown against Sadr's Mahdi Army in 2008.

However, Sadr's movement backed Maliki to take another term as prime minister during his struggle in 2010 against the Sunni- backed political bloc headed by the secular politician Ayad Allawi.