The Alpha and Omega

Egypt's top Islamic cleric, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi of the al-Azhar mosque and university, said the "door is open" for volunteers to fight against coalition forces in Iraq, Reuters reports. The Iraqi regime claims thousands of such volunteers have arrived.

In turn, U.S. Marines say they encountered a mix of Jordanian, Egyptian, and Sudanese fighters in marshes south of Baghdad. Their bid for martyrdom ended via bayonet in some cases, hand-to-hand fighting being a area of emphasis for the Marines.