It's hard to adequately explain the role or importance of Ali. The Prophet Mohammed's first and best follower, a peerless warrior whose integrity in public office was unimpeachable, a man who often endured injustice rather than fight for his due if his actions might weaken the faith entire. I can't actually think of an equivalent Christian archetype, unless you crossed the Apostle Peter with Sir Galahad. This story illustrates one facet of Ali as Muslims see him.

Ali is of especial importance to the Shi'ite branch of the faith, whose founding is based on the premise that the rightful succession of the Caliphate flows through him. Aziz "Shiapundit" Poonwalla is obviously distressed at the thought of fighting around sacred sites like the holy city of Karbala, and also Ali's tomb in An-Najaf. Knowing that Saddam has always hated the Shi'ites and would happily see these sites damaged or destroyed can't help.

A whole series of posts on Unmedia and Shiapundit have followed, detailing everything from historical background to Saddam's likely strategies and battlefield details.