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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Looks Like Tater's Goons Got Their Wish |
| 2004-08-22 |
| Ok, this is like the 4th time. Maybe we can finish it now... Heavy shooting and mortar fire erupted near the Imam Ali shrine in the holy city of Najaf, as Shiite Muslim militiamen clashed with US troops, an AFP correspondent witnessed. Mehdi Army fighters, loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr, launched multiple attacks on US tanks, parked around 300 metres (yards) away from the shrine, one of Shiite Islam's holiest. US tanks fired back, as the reverberations of gunfire and mortar bombs could be heard from inside the mosque compound. Overnight, US warplanes pounded the central holy city between 2:30 and 3:00 am, causing three large explosions near the Mehdi Army's mausoleum headquarters. A US military spokesman confirmed earlier that military operations were continuing at the request of the Iraqi government and an AFP correspondent said the clashes were more intense than on Saturday. US troops backing Iraqi forces in Najaf had scaled back their deployment and Saturday was mostly calm despite sporadic exchanges of fire. |
| Posted by:Ol_Dirty_American |
| #1 Mehdi Army's mausoleum headquarters. Nothing better than a well turned phrase, except maybe a well turned turtle. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-08-22 11:24:39 AM |