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Significance of Najaf's Holy Imam Ali Shrine

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Shaul Bakhash, professor of Middle East history at George Mason University, about the significance of the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq. Holes are visible in the shrine's dome after heavy fighting in the city. Coalition authorities say they didn't do it, and have suggested the blame might lie with forces loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Copyright 2004 NPR