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Article: Shiite militia leader vows to defend holy city until death.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- August 9, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 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: Liz Sly
BAGHDAD, Iraq _ The rebel Shiite cleric leading the battle against U.S. Marines in Najaf, Iraq, vowed Monday to fight "to the last drop of my blood," and U.S. officials said they were prepared to attack the city's sacred mosque in order to crush his militia, setting the stage for a potentially explosive confrontation.
The governor of Najaf has authorized U.S. forces to move against the Imam Ali mosque, the holiest shrine in Shiite Islam, where members of the Shiite militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have taken refuge, according to a senior U.S. military official.
Al-Sadr surfaced at the mosque Monday, his first public ...