U.S., Iraqis Begin Assault in Volatile Area

Waleed Hadeethi, a physician who is deputy head of Haditha General Hospital, said in a telephone interview that seven wounded civilians were brought to the hospital. "No one was killed," he said.

Al Qaeda in Iraq also circulated a statement during Friday prayers in Ramadi, Anbar's capital.

"The occupation forces and the non-Iraqi troops attacked the imprisoned Haditha, trying to hurt the people and killing more innocents," it said. "We warn the occupation forces, if they won't withdraw, we will announce a high-level alert among all the Iraqi resistance groups. We warn the apostate army that black days await it if it supports the Crusader occupier in the Haditha holy battle."

Elsewhere in Iraq Friday, efforts continued to reach a compromise in the constitution-writing process.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari met with Iraq's most influential Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, in the southern city of Najaf. Jafari was seeking support for two controversial constitutional provisions: that Islam is a main source of Iraqi law, and that the country be governed through a federal system in which some power is devolved to regions.

At a news conference after their two-hour meeting, Jafari said Sistani endorsed both views. Sunni Arabs, who represent an estimated 20 percent of Iraq's population, favor limiting federalism to Kurdistan and oppose the formation of a Shiite state in the south. Kurds, who are predominantly Sunni but whose politics are largely secular, oppose granting Islam a major role in determining Iraqi law.

Preachers in Baghdad's main mosques also addressed constitutional issues during Friday prayers.

Sunni Sheik Shaker Mahmoud Sumaidaie told worshipers at the Um al-Qura mosque that "if our brothers to the north have a special circumstance with their federalism, others should not be demanding a federalism which leads to dividing the country."

"The only issues remaining are those over which the leaders of the blocs will be deliberating soon," said Shiite Sheik Jalaladeen Sagheer at Baghdad's Buratha mosque. "We are surging ahead."

Sarhan reported from Najaf. Correspondent Ellen Knickmeyer and special correspondents Omar Fekeiki, Bassam Sebti, Naseer Nouri and Khalid Saffar in Baghdad contributed to this report.