Radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's behaviour has been "unlawful and harmful" but it was up to Iraq's government to decide how to bring order before elections, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Saturday.
Militants loyal to Sadr have been battling US and Iraqi forces in the city of Najaf for 10 days in fighting that has killed hundreds and sent thousands of protesters to the streets.
Talks to end the conflict collapsed on Saturday, dashing hopes that the Iraqi interim government would be able to negotiate a speedy end to the confrontation.
And the US military continued to battle insurgents in other areas of Iraq opposed to the presence of foreign troops.
"The (Iraqi) prime minister and the government of that country is engaged in attempting to move towards elections next year," Rumsfeld told a joint news conference with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.
"Part of their task is to work with coalition countries and attempt to see that there is order and a reasonably lawful environment that the government can proceed and elections can take place," Rumsfeld said.
"Clearly the behaviour of Sadr and the supporters, his supporters in Najaf have been unlawful and harmful to peace and order in the community," he said.
Encircled by US troops in Najaf's Imam Ali Mosque, Sadr vowed on Friday to stay in the city until victory or death.
Rumsfeld said US-led military coalition officials were working with the Iraqi government and "they certainly understand that it is important that they not allow independent militias to kill innocent men, women and children in that country".
"How they go about that at any particular moment of the day is for them to decide," he added.
Ivanov said the issue of Iraq had so far not been discussed, but was sure to come up later in talks with Rumsfeld.
"During our talks we didn't even touch on the issue of Iraq. But as for our opinion about what's happening in Iraq today, I would like to say that we stand for the political settlement of the situation and first of all within the framework of the United Nations," Ivanov said.
He said Russia remained opposed to Nato expanding to the neighbouring Baltics, but that he did not view basing the military alliance's aircraft there as a threat.
"From a military point of view, four Nato aircraft placed in the Baltic states do not pose any threat to Russia. The problem is not actually in the airplanes themselves, although any of them can theoretically reach St. Petersburg in two or three minutes. We do not understand how these planes can fight al Qaeda, the Taleban, or any other things," he said.
"The only thing they can intercept is the imaginary threat from the Soviet Union," Ivanov said. He called the Baltics "consumers of security, not producers", but that it was not Russia's business how Nato money was being spent.
Rumsfeld sought to soothe Russia's concerns over a US deal with Denmark to upgrade a radar system in north-west Greenland, saying it would take years to complete and did not pose a threat to anyone.
"It would be part of a capability that will evolve over the years to deal with the possible threat of a rogue nation ballistic missile attack against the United States or our friends and allies," Rumsfeld said. "A radar of that type obviously doesn't threaten anybody."
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