Rumsfeld warning for Iraq's Sadr

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said the activities of Iraqi Shia leader Moqtada Sadr and his supporters are unlawful and harmful. Speaking on a visit to St Petersburg, Russia, he said it was up to local coalition commanders and the Iraqi government to deal with the situation. His Russian counterpart, Sergei Ivanov, said there is now an increased need for an international conference on Iraq. Mr Rumsfeld has been visibly cautious recently in his comments on Iraq. Whatever his private views, in public he seems to be almost deliberately maintaining his distance. That may be a reflection of the sensitivities involved.