Key Cleric Accepts U.N. View of Iraq Vote

By Deborah Amos,

Published February 19, 2004 at 11:00 PM CST

U.N. envoys say it's not possible to hold open elections in Iraq before June 30, the date U.S. authorities plan to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government. Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, a Shia Muslim cleric at the heart of the debate, said he accepts the U.N. determination but urges elections as soon as possible. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Deborah Amos.

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Deborah Amos

Deborah Amos covers the Middle East for NPR News. Her reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition.

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Robert Siegel

Prior to his retirement, Robert Siegel was the senior host of NPR's award-winning evening newsmagazine All Things Considered. With 40 years of experience working in radio news, Siegel hosted the country's most-listened-to, afternoon-drive-time news radio program and reported on stories and happenings all over the globe, and reported from a variety of locations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. He signed off in his final broadcast of All Things Considered on January 5, 2018.

See stories by Robert Siegel