Decenber 16, 2004 - Fighters from the Shiite holy city of Najaf have joined in the fight in Falluja against U.S. troops, according to the head of an influential non-governmental organization.

Murhiz al-Dulaimi of the League for the Defense of the Rights of Iraqi people said the inhabitants of Kufa, another Shiite holy site, helped in evacuating civilians from Falluja before the start of fighting.

Dulaimi’s league brings together Iraqis of note who have opted to stay away from the factional, sectarian and ethnic wrangling that has characterized the Iraqi political scene since the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein.

Despite their differences, most Iraqi factions hold the league in high regard.

Dulaimi said he was not optimistic about the outcome of the January elections, saying the vote will not change the current situation for the better.

"I believe the elections will not realize any positive result because they are being conducted under occupation and under circumstances in which the country lacks security and stability," he said.

Dulaimi said he had lost trust in the current interim government.

"I cannot see how members of this government invest in their positions at a time massacres are being perpetrated in cities like Falluja," he said.

He said the fighting in Falluja has illustrated the unity of the Iraqi people.

"The events (in Falluja) have shown solidarity on the part of Iraqis as a nation. The citizens of Najaf fought alongside those of Falluja and the inhabitants of Kufa drove their cars up to Falluja to evacuate its residents," Dulaimi said.

Dulaimi is a senior member of Dulaimi tribe with a large following in the restive Province of Anbar which includes Ramadi and Falluja, the two cities which have spearheaded resistance to U.S. occupation.

Dulaimi denied that Arab fighters were leading the insurgency in Iraq.

"The resistance is purely Iraqi. The occupation forces have apprehended a limited number of Yemenis and Egyptians, but these have been living in Iraq for a long time and most of them are married to Iraqis," he said.

- Azzaman, 2004-12-14