I love this formulation from a Sistani aide, reported in the New York Times:
“On Friday, one of Mr. Sadr’s spokesmen scurried in and out of the shrine bearing messages from Mr. Sadr, who was in an undisclosed location that many said was thought to be outside the Old City. The aide, Sheik Ahmed al-Sheibani, announced that Mr. Sadr had agreed to turn over control of the shrine to Ayatollah Sistani. He said Mr. Sadr’s group had contacted Ayatollah Sistani, who is in London recovering from heart surgery. Ayatollah Sistani agreed to accept the keys, The Associated Press reported from London on Friday, as long as Mr. Sadr’s militiamen left altogether. `If the people inside the holy shrine leave it altogether, lock the doors and place the key in an envelope and take it to Sistani’s office in Najaf, then he has told his people there to receive the key,’ a spokesman for Mr. Sistani said.”
PS: Check out the picture that accompanies this story, of a U.S. soldier trying to lure a sniper into revealing his position.