Militants Hold Najaf Shrine; Bombing Heard

[southernleftylady]

NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine as clashes flared in Najaf on Sunday, raising fears a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders.
An unofficial mediator and distant relative of the cleric pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately.

"We are in a race with time," Hussein al-Sadr said.

Early Sunday, U.S. warplanes bombed Najaf's Old City, scene of much of the fighting, and the sounds of shelling could be heard in the streets, witnesses said. The U.S. military could not confirm the bombing, but said operations in Najaf were ongoing.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040822/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716