US Army combat engineers wait for the start of their mission on the
outskirts of the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Najaf on March 28, 2003.
U.S. troops using tanks and artillery battled an Iraqi force of about
1,500 men overnight near the town of Najaf in central Iraq, military
sources said on Friday. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

KP/CRB