Sadr's Militia Blamed for Deadly Shiite-on-Shiite Melee

"I think the JAM has organized the action. They are the main part of the action," Alousi said, using an acronym for Jaish al-Mahdi, the Arabic name for the Mahdi Army. "Others are now using the Karbala problem, which JAM created, to take more political power, and this is bad."

Alousi's committee has made trips to Karbala and reviewed detainee testimony and investigative documents. One such investigative memorandum, obtained by The Washington Post, was drafted by Karbala's police chief, based on testimony from detainee Ali Dahi. Alousi said the contents of the memo as described to him reflect the reality of the situation.

Dahi placed the blame on Mahdi Army fighters intent on expanding power by taking over the two shrines. He said a Mahdi Army company commander visited him before the violence broke out, according to the memo, which was forwarded to top Interior Ministry officials.

Dahi was told: "There will be riots in the area between the two shrines, and these events will be carried out by members of the Mahdi Army to control those two shrines," the memo states. "They all gathered at the martyr Sadr office waiting for orders to attack the area and to take over the two imams' shrines."

"They were carrying heavy sticks and were throwing rocks at the outer wall of the shrine and chanting inside the office: 'We are your soldiers, Sayeed,' and 'Martyrdom with you Sayeed Moqtada,' " the memo went on, using the honorific signifying descent from the prophet Muhammad. "Then orders were given to them to attack."

The document is based on the statement of the one detainee, Dahi, and his political affiliation or agenda are unclear. The memo says the statements were ratified by the investigation committee.

The chief spokesman of the Karbala police, Rahim Imshawer, confirmed the memorandum's contents. "It's true, it was his confession," he said. "This is a very confidential memo. I don't know how this memo leaked out."

During the fighting, Mahdi Army gunmen climbed to rooftops overlooking the shrines and fired down into the crowd, sparking retaliatory shooting from shrine guards, according to documents and Iraqi officials. Some militiamen distributed gasoline canisters and set fire to festival tents, vehicles and buildings.

The Karbala police memo also alleges that Juwad al-Hasnawi, the province's deputy governor, visited the Sadr office on the eve of the attack and that his bodyguards unloaded boxes of ammunition at the office. Hamid Ganoosh, a member of the provincial council, was also alleged to have been involved in the violence. Arrest warrants were issued for both men.

After the shootout, Hasnawi and Ganoosh were detained, according to the head of the Karbala provincial council, Abdul Aal al-Yasiri.

"We support Iraqi law, and these warrants are legal, but we asked the prime minister for an explanation about detaining Juwad al-Hasnawi and Hamid Ganoosh. Until now, we've had no reply," Yasiri said.

A senior Mahdi Army commander in Karbala, Qais al-Karbali, said his militia and the two government officials are innocent of instigating the violence and blamed the rival Badr Organization.