Shiite militants hold onto shrine amid disputes over its handover ...
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By Abdul Hussein Al-Obeidi, Associated Press, 8/21/2004 14:03. NAJAF, Iraq  Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday
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NAJAF, Iraq -- Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr say they have handed over the keys of a revered Muslim shrine in Najaf to Shiite religious leaders, the Associated Press reports.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - A radical cleric prepared to hand  control of a shrine at the heart of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq  to religious authorities on Friday, but still rejected demands  by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.
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NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a revered shrine, and clashes flared in Najaf on Saturday, raising fears that a resolution to the crisis in the holy city could collapse amid bickering between Shiite leaders.    An unofficial mediator pleaded with al-Sadr to disarm his militants, pull them out of the shrine and disband his militia immediately...
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NAJAF, Iraq - 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.    As the standoff dragged on, heavy clashes broke out for about 45 minutes near the cemetery and the Old City on Saturday afternoon between al-Sadr's militiamen and U.S...
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NAJAF, Iraq  - Fighters loyal to Iraqi cleric  Moqtada al-Sadr retained their grip on the Imam Ali shrine in  Najaf on Saturday, dampening hopes that talks with religious  authorities would quickly end a two-week siege.
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NAJAF, Iraq - Thousands of pilgrims streamed into the Imam Ali Shrine on Friday and militants left, handing the keys to Shiite religious authorities after Iraq's top Shiite cleric brokered a peace deal to end three weeks of fighting in this holy city.    Dozens of Iraqi police and national guardsmen deployed around the compound of the walled, golden-domed shrine in the Old City Friday afternoon - but did not enter...
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The US military clashed aggressively with forces of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as negotiations to end the standoff at one of Islam&#39;s most revered shrines remained stalled.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraqi security forces tightened  their grip on the streets around a sacred shrine in Najaf  Tuesday after the government warned Shi'ite rebels inside they  would be killed if they did not surrender.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - U.S. marines and a radical Iraqi  cleric were locked in a tense standoff on Thursday after the  firebrand leader refused to leave a holy shrine in Najaf  despite earlier agreeing to disarm his militia and withdraw.
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Militant supporters of radical Iraqi Shi&#39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr kept their hold on a sacred religious shrine Sunday as fighting flared around the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq - Talks to end fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militants in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City have stalled, with the government refusing militant demands for American troops to keep out of the troubled district, negotiators for the militants said Wednesday...
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Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric, still retained control of a Najaf shrine, though there were signs his grip might be weakening.
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Militants filed out of the Imam Ali Shrine, closed the doors behind them and turned over the keys to Iraq&#39;s top Shiite cleric Friday, symbolizing their acceptance of a peace deal to end three weeks of devastating fighting in this holy
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NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were prepared to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities, and Iraq's interim prime minister said he would not storm the holy site.    The moves came after a day and night of fighting in Najaf that killed 77 people and wounded 70 others, as al-Sadr militiamen mortared a police station and U.S...
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NAJAF: Radical Shi&#39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has urged his Mehdi Army followers to keep fighting the US-led forces attacking Najaf, but said he was willing to hand over the city shrine to religious leaders.
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NAJAF, Iraq -- Loyalists to Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remained in control of the gold-domed Imam Ali shrine yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with representatives of Iraq's most senior Shi'ite leader on how to hand over the holy site.