Senior Iraqi Shiite cleric backs PM Maliki's ouster The removal of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki would be an "important part" of the solution to Iraq's political crisis, a spokesman for one of the country's top Shiite clerics said. The statement is the first from any of Iraq's revered Shiite religious leaders to explicitly endorse Maliki's ouster, and is one of a string of recent announcements indicating a more active national role for the usually taciturn clergy. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES