)I don’t see a link yet):
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) – U.S. forces stormed the home of
rebel Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of
Najaf Thursday, witnesses said.
They said servicemen went into the house in the center of
the city after warplanes bombed nearby targets and battled
militiamen loyal to Sadr.
The cleric was believed to be at Imam Ali shrine, a mile
away.
A fire was still raging in the street when Humvees drove to
the house.
U.S. Marines, backed by aircraft, swooped on Najaf’s city
center earlier in an attempt to end weeklong fighting with
Sadr’s militiamen. But they stayed away from Imam Ali Mosque,
one of the holiest sites in Shi’ite Islam.