US loses big in Najaf Resistance in the holy city has proven that the US won't allow democracy in Iraq By Kamil Mahdi THE GUARDIAN , London Tuesday, Aug 17, 2004,Page 9 YUSHA The US military offensive against Najaf is a dangerous and ill-judged escalation, revealing the violent reality of an occupation that has undergone only cosmetic change since the supposed handover of power to an "interim Iraqi administration" in June. For more than a week, an aggressive foreign power has addressed an essentially domestic political question by means of tanks, helicopter gunships and F16s. There had been a ceasefire...