Sunni Muslim clerics in Iraq have called for a boycott of the country's nationwide elections in January.
The chief of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Harith al-Dhari, said Tuesday the boycott is a protest of the U.S.-led siege on the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Fallujah. The association had warned earlier that it would call for such a boycott if coalition forces launched an all-out assault on the city.
Also today, Iraqi's leading Sunni Muslim political party said it is withdrawing from the interim Iraqi government because of the Fallujah assault. It is not clear what impact the withdrawal will have on the interim government.
Fallujah has been controlled by rebels for more than seven months and is believed to be the heart of the Iraqi insurgency. Some information for this report provided by AP.