BAGHDAD, July 18 (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi lifted Sunday a ban imposed by the former US-led occupation on a controversial newspaper belonging to firebrand Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr.
"The Hawza newspaper was allowed to be published again pursuant to an order by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who has expressed his absolute belief in free press," according to a government statement.
The closure of the weekly paper by former US administrator Paul Bremer at the end of March and the arrest of one of Sadr`s key aides were among the catalysts for a bloody rebellion by the Shiite cleric and his Mehdi Army militia against coalition forces in central and southern Iraq that lasted nearly two months and killed hundreds.
There was no immediate comment from Sadr`s office in his stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad or the southern city of Najaf on Allawi`s decision.
The prime minister said he was "confident his decision would open the way for all currents and movements in Iraq to take part in the country`s march towards liberty, democracy, peace and prosperity."
Following a truce in early June, Sadr agreed to scale back his presence in Najaf and, since then, the fiery cleric has given mixed signals on whether he would support the new government.
Some of his aides have said his followers would not attend an upcoming national conference to pick an interim council to consult Iraq`s new caretaker government.
Until recently Sadr had been a vociferous critic of all those who cooperating with US-led forces, describing as "traitors" secular Shiites such as Allawi.