Fighting Erupts Round Rebel-Held Najaf Shrine

[ze_dscherman]

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Fierce fighting broke out around a shrine in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf Monday, and pieces of shrapnel landed in the courtyard of the mosque held by followers of a radical Shi'ite cleric, Reuters witnesses said.

SNIP

Militiamen loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remained in control of the mosque and U.S. tanks had pulled back from positions they held Sunday as close as 800 meters (yards) from the compound, he said.

Earlier, a U.S. AC-130 gunship blasted rebel positions near the mosque and U.S. tanks tightened their encirclement of the building after talks on its handover to representatives of the Shi'ite establishment stalled.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Sheibani, a commander of the militants and a top adviser to Sadr, said the mosque wall was hit by U.S. fire Sunday night but the claim could not immediately be confirmed.

http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6041555

See also: http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/23/iraq.main/
This article lists many casualties, both Iraqis and U.S. soldiers

[Dancing_Dave]

1. We're Getting Very Near the End of the "Coalition of the Willing"

Then it will all be up to us to stop our government's solitary madness. :puke:

[alittlelark]

2. It is now the 'Coalition of the Cut and RUN'

not that I blame them - but I worry for our countrymen over there.

We need a new Commander-in-Chief that will bring in other countries, and be able to make this oil-grab a different thing (please don't ask me WHAT). Kerry is smart enough to figure it out.


He cannot do worse that B*sh.