U.S. Assassinates Two Shiite Clerics Meeting to Organize Nonviolent Resistance

The tense standoff between the United States and radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr continued this week in Iraq.
In the holy city of Karbala, militiamen of the Mahdi army loyal to Sadr fired mortar bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns at U.S. and Bulgarian positions. Hospital sources said three gunmen were killed and nine wounded.

This followed similar clashes in Najaf earlier this week in which at least five militiamen were killed.

The gun battle in Karbala came hours after rival Shiite political leaders called on Sadr to disarm in favor of a political solution.

U.S. forces have vowed to capture or kill Sadr, whose Mahdi army controls Najaf, nearby Kufa and Karbala and maintains a presence in many other cities, including Baghdad.

In Najaf, two top ShIite clerics were assassinated this week, Aaron Glanzt of Free Speech Radio News reports from Najaf and Hilla.

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