Pro-al-Sistani group denies reports of attack on Iraq's top Shiite cleric

Updated: U.N. Elections Team Arrives in Baghdad

The Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera had reported that unidentified gunmen fired on the ayatollah Thursday morning.

CNN reported that four attackers with AK-47s injured an unspecified number of al-Sistani bodyguards during an attempt on the cleric's life at about 10 a.m.

One of the ayatollah's guards, who identified himself as Abu Mohammed, told AP by telephone from Najaf that "there's no truth to this news" of an assassination attempt, adding "these are all lies.

"His eminence is in very good health and hasn't been subjected to any assassination attempts," he said. "There haven't been any threats ... He hasn't been out.... There has been no gunfire."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that the team will being "intensive consultations" with Iraqi leaders and members of the U.S.-led coalition and hopes to listen to the views of all Iraqi constituencies.

"I hope the work of this team will help resolve the impasse over the transitional political process leading to the establishment of a provisional government for Iraq," Annan said.

The Bush administration's initial plan to hold regional causes to choose a provisional government has met stiff resistance from the leading Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, who is demanding direct elections.

U.N. help sought on Iraq vote

Monday, January 19, 2004 Posted: 5:35 PM EST (2235 GMT)

An estimated 100,000 Muslims demonstrated in Baghdad.

(CNN) -- Facing protests by tens of thousands of Muslims in Baghdad, top U.S. and Iraqi officials have asked the United Nations to weigh in on whether early direct elections could be held for a provisional government.

Leaders of the U.S.-backed coalition and its handpicked Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) asked U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday to send a "technical mission" to Iraq to look into the possibility of early elections or other alternatives.

Annan said further discussions would take place before he decided whether to send such a team, but he expressed doubts that direct elections could be held in time for a planned handover to an interim Iraqi government this (northern hemisphere) summer.

"I have indicated that I don't believe there may be enough time between now and May to hold elections," he told reporters after meeting coalition and IGC leaders.

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