Iraq Photos: August 16

U.S. Army soldiers search a building after moving forward into a position closer to the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004.

Armed militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr look toward American positions during clashes with U.S. and Iraqi forces in the besieged city of Najaf, Iraq Friday Aug. 20, 2004.

A U.S. Army soldier takes cover in a fortified position during an attack by numerous snipers near the ancient cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004. Sporadic, heavy fighting continues Thursday.

The second bomb explodes on the first building targeted during a U.S. aerial assault on insurgents in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004. High-altitude jet fighters dropped four bombs in the area.

Iraqi civilians cross a street in the besieged city of Najaf, Thursday Aug. 19, 2004. Minister of State Qassim Dawoud issued a series of demands al-Sadr must meet to prevent an imminent attack on his forces, who are holed up in the revered Imam Ali shrine in Najaf.

An American soldier aims his weapon as he stands guard atop an armored vehicle in the besieged city of Najaf, Thursday Aug. 19, 2004. An Iraqi Cabinet minister said Thursday that Iraqi forces could begin an offensive against Muqtada al-Sadr within hours, despite al-Sadr's acceptance of a cease-fire proposal.

A Mahdi army soldier loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carries a rocket-propelled grenade launcher during clashes with British forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004.

U.S. Army soldiers fire an anti-tank rocket at an insurgent position near the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. Iraq's National Conference refused Wednesday to send a second delegation to the holy city of Najaf to negotiate an end to fighting between U.S. troops and loyalists of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a day after he rebuffed their demand for a meeting.

A U.S. special operations sniper locks on a target near the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. Sporadic but heavy fighting continued Wednesday.

Smoke and fire spread through a building under fire from U.S. forces near the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. Iraq's National Conference refused Wednesday to send a second delegation to the holy city of Najaf to negotiate an end to fighting between U.S. troops and loyalists of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

An elderly Iraqi man crosses a deserted street as American soldiers patrol the besieged southern Iraqi city of Najaf, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. An Iraqi delegation presented a peace proposal Tuesday to followers of a militant Shiite cleric who have been fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces in Najaf as clashes, marked by explosions, gunfire and a U.S. bombing run, persisted in the holy city.

An Iraqi youth plays in the craters left on the walls of a damaged mosque hit during clashes between insurgents, U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces in the Sadr city's Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004.

Fire erupts from a residential area during an insurgent mortar attack near U.S. Army positions in Najaf, Iraq, late Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004. Sporadic but heavy fighting continued overnight, with U.S. forces attacking from tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and fortified positions near the cemetery, and insurgents returning fire with mortars and small arms.

U.S. Army soldiers fight from a fortified position near the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004. Sporadic but heavy fighting continued overnight, with U.S. forces attacking from tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and fortified positions, and insurgents returning fire with mortars and small arms.

Iraqis look at the charred vehicles left after a blast on al-Rasheed Street, a commercial district in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004. A mortar round that hit a busy street in central Baghdad on Tuesday killed six people and injured 35 others, set one building on fire and damaged seven cars.

U.S. armored vehicles patrol the besieged city of Najaf, in southern Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004. The showdown between U.S. troops and Iraqi militants in Najaf dominated Iraq's national conference, with tribal and religious leaders deciding to send 60 delegates to the holy city to persuade a radical Shiite cleric to call off his fighters.

A U.S. Army soldier fights in the streets of Najaf, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 16, 2004. Sporadic but heavy fighting continued as U.S. tanks rolled into the Old City of Najaf to within 500 yards of Iraq's holiest Shiite shrine Monday, witnesses said. Explosions also rocked the cemetery.

Soldiers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr take up positions during clashes with British forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, Monday, Aug. 16, 2004.

Mahdi army soldiers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr aim towards the direction of American tanks as they take positions near Najaf's sprawling cemetery in the holy southern Iraqi city of Najaf Monday, Aug. 16, 2004.

Soldiers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr take up positions during clashes with British forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra Monday, Aug. 16, 2004.