© 2026 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.

Support

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Spring cleaning? Get rid of your unwanted vehicle by donating it to NHPR! Your support fuels our local news.

Key Cleric Accepts U.N. View of Iraq Vote

NPR | By Deborah Amos,

Robert Siegel

Published February 20, 2004 at 12:00 AM EST

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.

Copyright 2004 NPR

Tags

Latest from NPR

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.

See stories by Deborah Amos

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

Related Content

Months after the ICE shootings in Minnesota, a federal probe remains elusive

Meg Anderson

Officials in Minnesota have sued the Trump administration, saying federal officials are withholding evidence in the killings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by immigration agents in Minneapolis, as well as the non-fatal shooting of a Venezuelan man.
Coachella 2026: A hand-picked guide to the best of the fest

Dora Levite, Sheldon Pearce, Anamaria Artemisa Sayre

With well over 100 acts on eight stages, almost all of them streaming live, Coachella can be overwhelming. Here's a day-by-day guide to the can't-miss music at the season's biggest musical gathering.
Shortlisted for an Oscar, 'Homebound' is a daring movie about two dear friends

Diaa Hadid, Omkar Khandekar

The movie, now streaming on Netflix, defied current trends in Indian cinema to tell the true story of a friendship between a Muslim and a Hindu Dalit. Martin Scorsese was secretly involved.
Five things to know about Hungary's election

Rob Schmitz, Nick Spicer

Hungary votes Sunday in a pivotal test of Viktor Orbán's "illiberal democracy," as challenger Péter Magyar taps voter frustration, with stakes for Europe, NATO and the U.S.
'How are you using AI?' Your therapist should ask you that question, experts argue

Rhitu Chatterjee

A paper in JAMA Psychiatry says mental health providers should ask if patients are using artificial intelligence chatbots, just as they would ask patients about sleep habits and substance use.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.