Iraq fighting death toll nears 300

[blonndee]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A strict curfew was extended indefinitely in the Iraqi capital Sunday as the death toll mounted from clashes between government troops and Shiite Muslim militants.

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The violence has sparked fears that a seven-month cease-fire by the Mehdi Army -- regarded as a key factor in a dramatic drop in attacks in recent months -- could collapse or that the U.S. military will have to bail out the Iraqis.

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This week, President Bush called the current clashes a "defining moment" for Iraq and a key test for the country's government.

But several U.S. officials said Friday that the Iraqi military push is not going as well as American officials had hoped. A U.S. military intelligence analysis found that Iraqi security forces control less than a quarter of Basra, officials in both the United States and Iraq said.

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full story http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/29/iraq.main/index.html