Fighting flares in key Iraqi city-Najaf

Shooting has broken out in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf where gunmen loyal to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr agreed a truce with US forces on Thursday.
A battle began when US jeeps approached the city's vast cemetery and Mehdi Army fighters drove them back with rockets, a spokesman for Mr Sadr said.

Hospital sources said four Iraqis had been wounded in the clash.

US officials have not commented on the incident which comes after two days of clashes in Najaf's twin city of Kufa.


In another development, the US has reported that three of its marines were killed in action on Saturday in Anbar, the province which includes the Sunni flash-point cities of Falluja and Ramadi.

~snip~
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3761647.stm

This news is traveling around the world.
It's been on several sites.

Well, except for the clueless in America.

http://www.gsmpro.com/article/articledt.asp?hArticleId=3381

To demonstrate that the Resistance threats are in earnest,
the Resistance fighters destroyed an American tank, killing
all the aggressor troops who were aboard it west of al-
Fallujah on Wednesday. This attack compelled the US
invaders to remove their troops from some of the
checkpoints and to take down the earthen embankments
they had set up at those locations.

http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=7124

fat chance the media will pick this up as it will be extremelly damaging towards bush.

The fake peace
Hours after a deal was struck, armed Mahdi army forces are back in Najaf -- abetted by fresh volunteers.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Phillip Robertson
May 28, 2004 | NAJAF, Iraq -- An Orwellian "peace" has descended upon Najaf. On Friday afternoon, the day after a peace agreement with the U.S. forces was announced, armed Mahdi army fighters were occupying all their usual posts. The men had retrieved their rifles and grenade launchers, which they had hidden away when the peace deal was announced, and were carefully watching people move through the city, asking visiting foreigners for their documents. Failure to produce the correct document can lead to immediate arrest.

According to the surprise peace agreement, worked out between the tribal authorities and the opposing sides, the Mahdi army was to permanently put down its weapons and withdraw from the city. In return, the United States promised to honor the cease-fire and suspend operations, pulling back to bases near Najaf. Iraqi police, not U.S. forces or militiamen, were supposed to return and guarantee order.

But as of Friday afternoon, the Mahdi army had made no move to withdraw or lay down its weapons, leaving the most important part of the peace plan in ruins. U.S. tanks usually parked near the police station at the Revolution of 1920 Square could not be seen. Despite much hopeful talk, Najaf has not been returned to civilian authorities: It is still under the aegis of the militants and the secretive Sharia court they use to deliver sentences.

--snip--

This reporter and another journalist, filmmaker James Longley, fled Najaf a few hours ago, after being warned that the Mahdi army was preparing to issue arrest warrants for us. A kid not associated with the militia came up to us on Rasul Street and said the men at the Sharia court were trying to work out a way to pick us up as spies. The threat appeared credible and we decided to leave Najaf immediately and drive back to Baghdad

more: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/05/28/fake/index1.html

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