I am soooooo frigging tired of us being so sensitive to shrines. If it enrages the muslim populations so much then the people of Iraqi can vote for Saddam in the next election, he'll make it right.
As much as I hate war it has begun and our Marines and Army troops are not worth a stupid ass shrine.
During the Battle of the Bulge my father's outfit quite regularly blew off the steeples of churches. That was the favorite sniper's nest of German defenders. God didn't seem to mind!
You do not understand the tactics used by the Army and Marines. Reporters envisioned house to house fighting where the enemy will kill one soldier for each yard of territory. Instead US forces built a berm outside of the city that overlooks most of the buildings in Najaf. From this manmade ridge one can observe most of the streets at night and call in gunship strikes. At night we infiltrate small sniper/observation teams who setup in tall buildings or key sites. From there the teams can call in gunship strikes or engage small groups of Sadr men with snipers. The kill ratio is unbelievable 1 US KIA for 50 enemy KIA. This type of tactic is slow and meticulous but many shrines are untouched. When the US Army and USMC leaves Iraq, we will have many battle tested experienced veterans who will have a long term impact in the training and leadership of our future forces. Armies of the world beware.