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By Hannah Allam and Yasser Salihee Knight Ridder/Tribune news

American troops raided the homes and offices of two prominent Sunni Muslim clerics Thursday after both made fiery public speeches condemning the U.S.-led offensive in Fallujah and voicing their support for insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government warned news organizations covering operations in Fallujah to distinguish between insurgents and ordinary civilians, and promote the leadership's position or face unspecified action, The Associated Press reported.

Harith al-Dhari, who heads the influential Association of Muslim Scholars, which represents as many as 3,000 of Iraq's Sunni mosques, said American and Iraqi forces burst into his home on Baghdad's outskirts after shouting through loudspeakers to send women to safe rooms or "face the consequences."

Al-Dhari's son, Muthana al-Dhari, told Al Jazeera television that the troops confiscated cell phones and personal weapons in the dawn raid. His father was questioned briefly.

Harith al-Dhari has emerged as one of the most vehement critics of the U.S.-led military presence in Iraq and is well-known for anti-American diatribes that typically stop just short of advocating violence.

Since the Fallujah offensive began, however, al-Dhari has deemed Iraqi security forces cooperating with Americans as legitimate targets for attack. Earlier this week, he issued a religious edict ordering Iraqis to boycott January's elections to protest the Fallujah assault.

Later in the day, U.S. and Iraqi troops targeted another outspoken cleric, arresting Sheik Mahdi al-Sumaydai, his top aide and others during a raid of Ibn Taymiyah mosque in Baghdad.

Earlier Thursday, al-Sumaydai had lambasted Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's highest-ranking Shiite cleric, for not condemning the American-led offensive in Fallujah.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, al-Sumaydai reminded Shiites that Sunni groups had spoken up in August when U.S. and Iraqi forces massed outside a shrine in a standoff with insurgents in Najaf, the southern Shiite holy city.

"We reproach Sistani for not officially taking a position on the offensive, and we call on him to do so," al-Sumaydai said.

The raids came as Iraq's Media High Commission sent a statement to news organization citing the 60-day state of emergency declared Sunday on the eve of the offensive in Fallujah, AP reported.

"You must be precise and objective in handling news and information," the statement said.

It emphasized the necessity of differentiating between "innocent citizens of Fallujah who are not targeted by the military operations and between the terrorist groups who infiltrated the city and took its people hostage under the pretext of resistance and jihad."

It also told news organizations to tell their correspondents "to be credible and precise" and not to "add patriotic descriptions to groups of killers and criminals."

Finally, the commission told news organizations to provide space to explain "the government position, expressing the ambition of most of the Iraqi people" and underscore that "these military operations did not come about until all peaceful means were attempted" to avoid violence.

It said not following instructions will require authorities to "take all necessary measures to safeguard the supreme interest of the homeland." No more details were given.

al-Sumaydai reminded Shiites that Sunni groups had spoken up in August when U.S. and Iraqi forces massed outside a shrine in a standoff with insurgents in Najaf, the southern Shiite holy city.

"We reproach Sistani for not officially taking a position on the offensive, and we call on him to do so."

I'm not sure this guy would like Sistani's official position. After the January elections (which will happen), the vast majority of the Iraqi government will be made up of Shiites and Kurds, who represent 75% of the population of Iraq. Maybe a little more now...

With the Kurdish militias joining the Iraqi army and heavy recruiting/training among the Shiites, the Iraqi army should be able to handle any remaining insurgents with minimal help from us within a year. IMHO.