Leader cites flexibility, diplomacy to end standoff

Troop rotation is expected soon.
NAJAF, Iraq (AP) -- An Iraqi leader said he saw "flexibility" on the side of an anti-American cleric amid diplomatic efforts to end a standoff with U.S. troops in one of the holiest Shiite cities.
U.S. commanders said they expect to soon rotate some of the troops surrounding Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, a sign that imminent combat was not expected.
Iranian envoy Hossein Sadeghi was in Najaf today, but representatives of Muqtada al-Sadr said the envoy had no meetings with the anti-American cleric. Sadeghi's visit was arranged by Britain and appeared to have the approval of the United States, reflecting an eagerness to find a solution that would avert a U.S. assault on the city.
Aircraft in action
U.S. AC-130 Spectre gunships were in action before dawn today over Fallujah, the site of fierce fighting that has left hundreds of Iraqis dead, raking militant hideouts with machine-gun fire. The converted cargo aircraft has multi-barrel machine guns that fire out of its side and concentrate huge amounts of gunfire on a small target area. The gunships have been used repeatedly over Fallujah at night.
Militants also fired mortar shells at U.S. positions overnight in Fallujah, 35 miles west of Baghdad. One shell hit the roof of a building that Marines control, but no casualties were reported.
Diplomat assassinated
Gunmen on Thursday assassinated an Iranian diplomat in Baghdad. Iranian Embassy officials were investigating whether the assassination was linked to the Iranian envoy's visit. Diplomat Khalil Naimi was not a member of the Iranian negotiating team.
Shiite Governing Council member Ibrahim al-Jaafari said he saw "flexibility from al-Sadr's side" and called on the Americans to show "similar flexibility."
Iraq's top U.S. administrator, L. Paul Bremer, was involved in "multiple channels" to try to negotiate an end to the standoff in the south and in Fallujah, said U.S. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
But Myers warned there was a limit as to how long the U.S. Marines can wait. "At some point somebody has to make a decision on what we're going to do, and we certainly can't rule out the use of force there again," he told a news conference.
U.S. military and civilian officials planned to meet today with leaders from Fallujah, U.S. officials said, the first report of direct negotiations between Americans and city representatives since the siege of Fallujah began 12 days ago.
Until now, U.S.-allied Iraqi leaders have been holding talks with city representatives trying to find an end to the violence.
"We are coming in here with an open mind. It is very important what we are doing. We are trying to give diplomatic negotiations a chance here," Marine Maj. T.V. Johnson said.
A U.S. soldier was killed Wednesday in the central city of Samarra, north of Fallujah -- raising to 88 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in April, the deadliest month so far for the Americans in Iraq.
There were signs of progress in talks to end the standoff in Fallujah, a stronghold of anti-American militants in overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim central Iraq. Mosques in Fallujah called on police and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps members to report to their positions today.
Many members of the police and security forces abandoned their posts during the past 11 days of fighting.
U.S. commanders have vowed to "kill or capture" Sadr, but have so far limited their actions to small skirmishes on the outskirts of the city.
U.S. Maj. Neal O'Brien said the units at Najaf "will not complete this operation" and will likely be replaced by other troops -- a rotation that suggests that an assault on the city is not imminent.
Sadeghi met with current Governing Council president Massoud Barzani on Wednesday and traveled to Najaf for talks on Thursday.
Iran is overwhelmingly Shiite and has enormous influence with the Shiite majority in Iraq.
Although the United States and Iran are bitter enemies, the political process in Iraq is likely to end with Shiites as the dominant power.
Tehran and Washington have been holding behind-the-scenes communication on how to restore order in Iraq, Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Wednesday, though he said they have been "going nowhere."
Both countries want to avoid a U.S. attack on Najaf, site of the holiest Shiite site -- the Imam Ali Shrine, only yards away from the office where al-Sadr is located, surrounded by armed gunmen.