A Holy Battlefield

Battle StationsSadrist fighters fire a mortar shell towards U.S. positions in Najaf on Monday. By taking cover in and around the Imam Ali Mosque, Sadr's men have vastly complicated the task of ejecting them — although the U.S. has superior numbers and firepower, damage to the shrine could provoke a Shiite rebellion that could doom the U.S.-backed government in Iraq

• An Elusive Peace in Najaf