US tanks fight Iraq militia

US tanks fight Iraq militia
Mon 31 May, 2004 09:12



By Suleiman al-Khalidi

KUFA, Iraq (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers and more than a dozen Iraqi militiamen have been killed in skirmishes overnight around the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, the fourth day of clashes since militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr offered a truce.

In Baghdad, U.S. officials and Iraqi leaders put off further talks over the choice of a president to succeed Saddam Hussein when the U.S. occupation authority is wound up a month from now.

With the top post of prime minister filled by Iyad Allawi on Friday and key ministerial jobs also broadly agreed on, talks deadlocked when Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council rallied behind one candidate for president in defiance of U.S. pressure.

U.S. officials wanted discussions to be put off to Tuesday, Council member Mahmoud Othman told Reuters: "The Americans have asked for the meeting to be delayed until tomorrow."
(snip/...)

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=520392§ion=news

...Oscar