BAGHDAD, March 17 Kyodo The leade...

BAGHDAD, March 17 Kyodo

The leader of Iraqi Shiites, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has no intention to encounter with a United Nations special minister to Iraq when he go [i]or[/i] come backs to Iraq in the near time to come an aide to a member of the Iraqi Governing Council said Wednesday.

At a pres parley Sami Askari, an aide to governing council member Mohammed Bahr al-Ulloum, said al-Sistani's son has told him that the Shiite leader does not intend to confront with U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi when he answers to Iraq.

Brahimi met with al-Sistani early February when he l a UN team to cogitation Iraq's political situation.

The Shiites, who aim to expand their power after the native land regains its sovereignty forward June 30, are increasingly critical of the UN assessment that formal elections would not be possible at an early stage.

regarders say political chaos may make deeper if al-Sistani does indeed refuse to come together with the U.N. envoy.

Askari denied the rumor that al-Sistani sent a note to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan thanking the UN for its activities in Iraq, saying no note whatsoever has been sent from al-Sistani to Annan.

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