10 Sadr fighters killed in Najaf, released Iraqis complain of torture
Ten fighters loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr were killed in a six-hour gun battle in the holy city of Najaf as US forces vowed to destroy his militia. Sadr remained defiant in his weekly sermon and urged his followers to spill blood in the battle against the coalition forces and railed against fellow Shiite leaders he accused of abandoning him. The fighting came as hundreds of Iraqis were released from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison and made fresh allegations of torture at the hands of sadistic guards. The US-led coalition announced that a fourth soldier, Specialist Charles Graner, will face a courts martial over the scandal that has hampered US attempts for a smooth handover of power in less than two months. Full Story