Three days ago The Associated Press ran this story:

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric has been quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad.

Notice that the first four paragraphs are stated as fact, with no attribution. That is supposed to mean that the reporter knows this first hand. But check out the end of the fifth paragraph:

…according to three prominent Shiite officials in regular contact with al-Sistani as well as two followers who received the edicts in Najaf.

The AP is about as reliable as The New York Times these days, meaning that I rank News of the World and the National Enquirer ahead of both, so I didn’t put much faith in the story. Turns out I was right to be skeptical. Looks like the vaunted Associated Press bit on some Iranian disinformation. Here’s an Iraqi news agency story:

Karbala, May23, (VOI)-A close source to grand ayatollah Ali Sistani’s office on Friday denied news agencies’ reports the Shiite cleric issued a fatwa permiting taking up weapons to drive the foreign occupation forces out of Iraq.

“The reports of issuing fatwa by the Shiite cleric Sistani permiting taking up arms to drive foreign troops out of Iraq were baseless”.

Still waiting for a correction.