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Iraq War News
JOINT RAID CAPTURES AIF MEMBER NEAR TUZ in CENTCOM: News Release



Militia, Shiite leaders bicker over shrine: "NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - Militants loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered Shiite shrine at the center of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday, as they bickered with top Shiite religious leaders over how to hand the holy site over."

In Modesto Bee: Iraq



Iran says Iraq now admits arresting three missing journalists: "Iraq's US-backed caretaker government has now admitted that three reporters for Iran's state IRNA news agency who went missing on August 9 were detained by police, a senior interior ministry official said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Confusion Over Control Of Mosque: "Militants loyal to a radical Shiite cleric were rebuffed when they tried to give the keys of the mosque at the center of the fighting in Najaf to reps of Iraq's top Shiite leader. Those reps want the militants out first. Elsewhere, two more GIs died."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Accused Hamas leader denies U.S. charges: "A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas indicted in the United States for conspiring to fund terror attacks against Israel denied the accusations and said the charges were driven by election-year politics in the United States."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Militia, Shiite Leaders Bicker Over Shrine: "Militants loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered Shiite shrine at the center of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday, as they bickered with top Shiite religious leaders over how to hand the holy site over. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Cracks May Be Forming in Cleric's Rebel Camp: "NAJAF, Iraq - Rebel cleric Muqtada Sadr's grip on Imam Ali Mosque appeared less certain late Friday after a chaotic day in which some of his fighters were captured attempting to flee this holy city and his representatives vowed to remove weapons from the shrine. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Al-Sadr Fighters Hand Over Keys to Shrine: "Militants loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Saturday that they had handed over the keys to a revered Muslim shrine in the holy city of Najaf to top Shiite religious leaders, a move that marks a crucial step toward ending two weeks of fighting. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Handing over keys, not control...Campaign turns nasty...Political billions in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Accused Hamas leader denies terror charges: "A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas indicted in the United States for conspiring to fund terror attacks against Israel denied the accusations and said the charges were driven by election-year politics in the United States."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Al-Sadr fighters hand over keys to shrine: "Militants loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Saturday that they had handed over the keys to a revered Muslim shrine in the holy city of Najaf to top Shiite religious leaders, a move that marks a crucial step toward ending two weeks of fighting."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Israeli author uses slogans to write song: "The song starts sweetly, but its angry words, all quoted from bumper stickers, are an Israeli author's attempt to shock his compatriots into seeing how callous they have become."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Gunmen keep watch on Iraqi shrine: "Gunmen still patrol the centre of Iraq's holy city of Najaf after 16 days of fighting and delicate talks."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Clashes Slow as Cleric's Grip on Mosque Seems to Slip: "Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric, still retained control of a Najaf shrine, though there were signs his grip might be weakening."

In New York Times: World Special



On Iraq's Border, Sailors of the Desert Smuggle Subsidized Gasoline: "A form of petty smuggling continues along Iraq's border, in which subsidized gasoline is bought in Iraq and then resold in Jordan at more than 10 times its cost."

In New York Times: World Special



Militia Offers to Cede Control of Shrine: "A rebel cleric's militiamen kept their guns outside a holy site Friday after issuing a surprise offer to give up control of the Imam Ali Shrine to Shiite Muslim religious leaders, but negotiators wrangled into the night over getting the militants out of the compound. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



On Tape, Abducted Reporter Says He's OK: "A U.S. journalist abducted by militants in Iraq and threatened with death said in a video aired Friday that his captors were treating him well, while an Italian journalist also was reported missing in the war-torn country. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq