Iraq's Shia leader distanced himself from Iraqis who oppose the return of the United Nations and said he wants the world body to play a role in the country's future, a senior UN official said on Tuesday.
Lakhdar Brahimi, the former Algerian foreign minister, told a news conference that Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani sent a written message through an aide to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "a few days ago" saying he had nothing to do with negative press reports from some members of the Iraqi Governing Council.
Brahimi went to Baghdad last month with a UN team to study the feasibility of holding elections before June and to discuss proposals for an interim government when the US-led occupation ends on June 30.
He quoted Sistani as saying, "As I told Mr Brahimi, we do want the UN to play a role in Iraq."