Breaking - US TRoops Battle Shias in Najaf

[gulfcoastliberal]

Heavy fighting has erupted between US forces and Shia militiamen in the central Iraqi city of Najaf.

Fierce gun battles and mortar fire are reported, and US helicopter gunships have been seen flying low over the area.

Fighters loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are based in the city, where some of Shia Islam's holiest shrines are located.

US forces have said they will refrain from entering the shrines.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3690669.stm

So much for that plan they talked about on NPR this morning.

[slinkerwink]

1. holy shiite.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Yep.

Things aren't looking Sunni over there.

[maddezmom]

2. this is going to get very ugly

if they are fired upon from the shrines....they will claim they had to take action.

[Just Me]

3. I wonder if the neocons believe this will be as successful as Fallujah?

Shit. What we have is a leadership whose most unique talent is creating more and more and more "enemies".

Good gawd.

[gypsy11]

14. I am really beginning to think

that the PNAC crew is TRYING to bring on Armageddon, sooner rather than later.

[gulfcoastliberal]

4. On Morning Edition

They talked about a plan to let Al-Sadr go in the custody of some other clerics, cancel the arrest warrant, and allow him to order his militia stand-down. The correspondant in Baghdad said that the militia might not be so centralized and they might not obey Sadr.

[bemildred]

6. Plans come and go.

I have seen nothing from al Sadr or anyone else in Iraq
that suggests they will stand down while our troops are
still there; all of that blather comes from the US media.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Did some see a dog wagging his tail around here?

W sure needs a big disctraction, and upping the ante on his holy war, just might be the ticket?

[mulethree]

8. yep still lots of WMD left in Iraq

Weapons of Mass Distraction

[ixion]

7. BushCo making good on their promise to 'export death

to the four corners of the globe.'

*sigh*

Things like this make me very sad.

[Karenina]

10. Me too, ixion...

:SIGH:

[ixion]

16. thanks for the hug, Karenina

I needed that.

[gulfcoastliberal]

11. Update

The fighting is said to have broken out after US soldiers, backed by tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, seized control of the Najaf governor's office from Shia militiamen.

Clashes between US forces and Mr Sadr's militia are also reported in the nearby town of Kufa.

Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia last month took control of government buildings and police stations in southern cities including Najaf and Kufa.

snip

"The people of the Middle Euphrates are eager for a return of normal life. They are going to have it," said Mr Bremer.

-- Yeah, they're gonna have it whether they like or not. Even if we have to bomb and shoot the place to smithereens to achieve Bremers "normalcy".

[maddezmom]

12. U.S. Forces Kill 41 Sadr Fighters Near Najaf

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&nci...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. This is a huge battle going on now

Fallujah II.

[maddezmom]

18. Jane Araf keeps doing live shots from Najaf

finally is wearing a helmet.

[enki23]

13. apparently they're giving up on winning minds

and have settled for what they see as their only remaining option: stopping their hearts.

[saigon68]

15. Awesome Post

saigon claps hands loudly