Showdown in Najaf

People with service personnel must be scared to death, as well as those with friends and families in the city. From CNN:

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urges his armed followers to keep up their battle even if he is seized or killed. U.S. and Iraqi forces preparing for a major assault in Najaf against the Mehdi Army militia loyal to al-Sadr. "Iraqi and U.S. forces are making final preparations... to finish this fight that the Muqtada militia started," Col. Anthony Haslam, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said.

I'm not sure it's accurate to say the militia started this, sorry to admit. We invaded their country, and we had the pomposity, the nerve to say it was to free them. But al-Sadr began fighting in earnest when we showed him anything but independence and we were launching attacks and edicts against Najaf long before the militia there began.