US Papers Monday: "Deadliest Battle in Years"?

The big East Coast dailies lead their Iraq coverage with the story of the big battle near Najaf in which 250 militants were killed. However, accounts still differ as to the identity of the combatants. It’s clear that Iraqi ground forces and US aircraft were involved. The identity of the militant group is reported differently in different papers, and the USAT suggests that US ground forces may have participated in the battle. Several articles gear up for Senate debates this week, and the Times gets a scoop with a long-awaited interview with the Iranian ambassador to Iraq.