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Article: Najaf ambush illustrates challenge in rooting out Saddam's soldiers.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- April 2, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Kirsten Scharnberg
NAJAF, Iraq _ The townspeople were in the middle of an impromptu celebration, cheering and clapping and whistling for the American soldiers who had only hours before marched through the center of this holy city, when the shots rang out.
"Small-arms fire! Get your heads down!" Lt. Col. Marcus DeOlivera shouted to his soldiers. "Watch those rooftops!"
The Army convoy jerked to a halt along the main road of Najaf. People on the sidewalks fled; a man was so startled he fell off his bicycle. The 50 or so infantry riflemen of the 101st Airborne Division took cover behind their Humvees and scanned the scores of rooftops all ...