U.S. aircraft pound Shi'ite rebels in Najaf

Brush your teeth Moqtada.
Dave

NAJAF, Iraq, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Suspected U.S. AC-130 gunships pounded
positions held by Sh'ite militiamen in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Thursday
and large orange multiple flashes lit the night sky.

A large cloud of smoke was rising from an ancient cemetery where rebels loyal
to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have fought U.S. troops for two weeks.

The explosions from the bombing, that went on for more than 30 minutes, were
loudly heard several km (miles) away.

The Iraqi government earlier gave Sadr a few hours to agree to its demands or
face a major offensive.

08/19/04 15:11 E