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More info (but from this site take it with a grain of salt):

Fighting Breaks Out In Najaf

Fringe Shia Movement Clashes With Iraqi and American Troops
By NIR ROSEN, ALI SADA Posted 8 hr. 34 min. ago

Fierce fighting has broken out in Najaf and it is alleged that the chief of police there has been fatally wounded. Fighting involves the Americans and the Iraqi National Guard on one side and a fringe Shia sect called the Yamani Group on the other side, though it is alleged that American soldiers accidentally targeted members of the I.N.G. as well.

Al Yamani is another name for Ahmed bin al Hassan who was a student of Ayatollah Mohammed al Sadr, the Shia cleric slain in 1999 and the father of Muqtada al Sadr. About two years ago al Yamani began calling on people to follow him and claiming that he had seen Imam al Mahdi (the twelfth Shia Imam who went into occultation in the 10th century AD and is expected to return like the messiah) and that the Mahdi had ordered him to lead the nation. He sent letters to presidents and leaders (including Bush in the U.S. and Khamenai in Iran ) asking them to leave power and submit to his orders. Until recently his movement was quiet and it was ignored by Shia and the authorities. It is still not clear why the fighting has started but the Yamani group issued a statement on their website accusing the Iraqi forces of targeting and destroying one of their mosques.

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1051/Fighting_Breaks_Out_In_Najaf


61 posted on 01/28/2007 11:30:27 AM PST by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (We are going to win!))
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To: bnelson44
Well there it is guys. The Iraqi Army is going after their own stray thugs. Looking good so far.
72 posted on 01/28/2007 11:34:45 AM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: bnelson44
targeting and destroying one of their mosques

Excellent tactics. Always start out by destroying the weapons depots.

78 posted on 01/28/2007 11:36:57 AM PST by ArmstedFragg
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To: bnelson44
It is still not clear why the fighting has started but the Yamani group issued a statement on their website accusing the Iraqi forces of targeting and destroying one of their mosques.

Good to see the Iraqi Security forces taking out their own trash.

156 posted on 01/28/2007 12:13:27 PM PST by FreeReign
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