[adonai]

U.S. soldiers handed him a letter from U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer, citing a breach of an order issued last year that bans incitement to violence.

"These false articles not only mislead readers but constitute a real threat of violence against coalition forces and Iraqi citizens who cooperate with the coalition in the reconstruction of Iraq," a letter signed by Bremer said.

The letter referred to a series of articles it said had incited hatred, including an editorial entitled "Bremer follows the steps of Saddam."

"This is a violation of our rights," Yasseri said.

Hundreds of Shi'ites later gathered in Baghdad to protest against the ban on the newspaper.

Last July, the U.S.-led administration closed down another newspaper for inciting violence. The Arabic-language satellite television news channels Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya have also faced sanctions from the administration and the Iraqi Governing Council for allegedly violating the law.

Sadr, a young and radical Shi'ite cleric, has often spoken out against the U.S. occupation, in contrast to many other Shi'ite groups that have sought to work with occupying forces.

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In July, the coalition announced the closure of a Baghdad newspaper and the arrest of its office manager. The statement said Al-Mustaqila, which means ''The Independent'' in Arabic, published an article on July 13 calling for ''death to all spies and those who cooperate with the U.S.'' It said killing them was a religious duty.

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