US forces replace Spaniards in Najaf

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: About 200 US troops and Military Police on Monday moved into a base in the holy city of Najaf to replace withdrawing Spanish forces and put pressure on As-Sadr’s militia, and separately current president of Iraqi Governing Council Massoud Barzani said American mistakes helped lead to the military deadlock.

The base - actually two adjacent bases called Baker and Golf - is about three miles from the holy shrine of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (pbuh) at Najaf's heart, which the US military has vowed to steer clear of.

The move deploys US troops within the Najaf urban area for the first time since a large force massed outside the city earlier this month to put down the Al-Mahdi militia. The limited move into the base also gives US forces a foothold in the holy city from which to pressure As-Sadr who is holed up in the center of the city near the shrines.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's president has been shot at as he visited his country's troops in the holy city of Karbala, officials say. The defense ministry in Sofia said Monday Georgi Parvanov was unharmed in the attack on his convoy by unknown gunmen.

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