CALM

Iraq's two main guerrilla fronts appeared "eerily quiet" on Monday, the U.S. military said, as residents of besieged Fallujah left their homes to shop and a rebel Shiite Muslim militia stuck to a cease-fire it called in the south...

Fallujah, once incessant gunfire has given way to quiet amid two days of direct negotiations between the Americans and Fallujah leaders. An Iraqi delegation entered Fallujah for new talks Monday, in which the Americans did not appear to be participating.

"There seems to be a serious attempt by the people of Fallujah to get their house in order," Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said.

The Army, meanwhile, said it was in no hurry to take the southern city of Najaf from Shiite followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Army was beginning to rotate 2,500 soldiers from their position outside Najaf, replacing them with 2,000 seasoned troops from the force that has been occupying Baghdad for nearly a year.

Al-Sadr on Sunday called a two-day cease-fire to mark the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Muhammad. He also ordered a halt in all attacks on Spanish troops based in Najaf after Spain's prime minister decided to withdraw his country's forces from the country as soon as possible.

Al-Sadr's office called on Iraqis to "maintain the safety of the Spanish forces until their return home" and urged "the governments of the other armies taking part in Iraq's occupation to follow the Spanish government's example."

Makes one wonder if they are proud...the Spanish...being hailed by a thug cleric with a thug Army.