At least 263 were killed and 502 were arrested in the Najaf battles this past weekend according to the latest report from the AFP. 
Arrested militants sit blindfolded after clashes at Zarqa, 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Najaf, Iraq, Monday Jan. 29,2007. (Yahoo)
Sadly, Iraqi forces may have lost 25 soldiers and the US lost a helicopter and two soldiers.
500 weapons and 11 mortar tubes along with numerous pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns and very important documents.
An Iraqi soldier displays a poster of the leader of an Iraqi cult who claimed to be the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam, near the bodies of militants after Monday’s battle in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, January 30, 2007. Iraq’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that 263 militants from an obscure Shi’ite cult were killed and more than 500 arrested on Sunday in one of the largest battles since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. (REUTERS/Ali Abu Shish)
But… to the New York Times, there were defects, errors. It was not quite right. There were missteps!
Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions
Free Najaf Province responded appropriately in calling in backup when they found themselves in a very threatening situation. This is exactly what you would expect from a province that just took control of their own security last month. This also is evidence that a US base in Iraq would likely be needed for quite some time, if that is what the Iraqi Government wants… and so far it looks like it does.
But, going back to the New York Times… What a despicable organization!
The military battle in Najaf this weekend was nothing less than brilliant.
Leave it to the NY Times to spin this as a misstep!
Zehad at Healing Iraq has numerous Iraqi news accounts from Najaf on the situation and battles.
Michelle Malkin has the latest good news from “Citizens Report on Iraq” that you won’t be seeing on page 1 of the New York Times.
Glenn Reynolds has a related video that aired on NBC.
