The Iraqi 36th commando battalion that secured the city's gold-domed Ali al-Hadi shrine, where a lot of insurgents were holed up, apparently did so without damaging the building too badly, and took two dozen guerrillas prisoner.
Al-Maliki media adviser Ali Hadi said negotiations between Iraq and the United States are in their "very early stages" and were not part of the prime minister's talks with Iranian officials during his visit.