In the south, Shiite rebels controlled major cities such as Karbala, Najaf, and Basra.
The transfer is considered the most significant so far because of Najaf's religious importance.
In the coming week, 2 million Shiites are expected to attend services in Najaf and Karbala.
Al-Sadr made his offer in a letter to Najaf's Shiite clerical hierarchy, according to al-Rubaie.
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U.S. forces have been engaging Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army in Najaf, Karbala and Kufa.
American forces launched further attacks on the militia led by Muqtada al-Sadr in Karbala and Najaf.
He's still far behind, but not through lack of trying in places like Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf.
Already, Najaf's renewed battle has triggered uprisings in a number of Iraqi cities with big Shia populations.
What is clear is that the American-led operation to dislodge the fighters from Najaf carries huge risks.
Al-Sadr is the Shiite cleric whose supporters battled U.S. troops for months last year in Najaf and Baghdad.
And immediately thousands from Najaf and surrounding areas flocked to the street outside Sistani's office waiting for guidance.
For now, Iraq's Najaf is too poor and insecure to challenge the dominance of Iran's clerical centre, Qom.
Many members of the Mahdi Army in Najaf hail from farther afield and are resented by local residents.
The Shi'ite holy city of Najaf is also veering toward becoming a protectorate of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shia leader, strongly opposes federalism: in Najaf this week, his men fought fellow Shias.
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On Thursday, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, a prominent Shia leader, was stabbed to death in a mosque in Najaf.
The US Marines will transfer control of Najaf to Polish troops this month.
Al-Nori is one of several al-Sadr supporters accused in last year's killing of Ayatollah Abdul Majid al-Khoei in Najaf.
He will be buried in his hometown of Najaf, one of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims, al-Husseini said.
Anne, what was the response in Najaf to the bombing of the shrine?
No Muslim, particularly a Shia, can remain calm in the face of the recent events in Najaf and Karbala...
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Following the blast, police said Kufa and Najaf -- both major Shiite cities -- were shut down for two hours.
And, you know, every street and every house, especially in Najaf, has pictures of Shiite martyrs from the 9th century.
Najaf is the seat of the Shiite clerical establishment and home of its foremost religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Edward Cardon said an obvious missed opportunity is an airport in Najaf that could be providing jobs and economic growth.
While Sadr pays lip service to the mainstream Shiite religious leadership based in Najaf, his base of power is different.
Two years ago, the U.S. military and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia fought in and around Najaf and Kufa.
"We're hearing from sources within his own movement and sources in Najaf that he's beefing up his religious credentials, " Dehghanpisheh says.
He just returned from Najaf, where Sistani is based, and the place where there was some fierce fighting several years ago.
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