Prince Pundit

New York Daily News - Home - Flag fee outrage

Iraq war news updates
Two U.S. soldiers killed in western Iraq: "Guerrillas ambushed a military convoy in western Iraq near the border with Syria, killing two American soldiers, the military said Sunday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



CIA admits lack of specifics on Iraqi weapons before invasion: "The US Central Intelligence Agency has acknowledged it "lacked specific information" about alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction when it compiled an intelligence estimate last year that served to justify the US-led invasion of Iraq. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Japan Diplomats Slain in Iraq, Tokyo Says Undaunted: "Unknown assailants ambushed and murderedtwo Japanese diplomats in northern Iraq, piling new pressure onthe Tokyo government as it weighs a decision on sending troopsto help rebuild that country. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Seven Spanish intelligence officers killed in Iraq attacks: "Seven Spanish intelligence agents were killed in a mortar and grenade attack on their convoy near Baghdad, the deadliest such incident to hit Spanish troops since they deployed in Iraq in August, Spain's defence minister said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq attacks leave 11 dead in CNN - War in Iraq



Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Western Iraq: "Guerrillas ambushed a military convoy in western Iraq near the border with Syria, killing two American soldiers, the military said Sunday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Ambush West of Baghdad: "Guerrillas attacked an American convoywest of Baghdad with small arms and rocket-propelled grenadeson Saturday, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding one, theU.S. Army said on Sunday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Japan vows to "never give in" to terrorism after two diplomats shot in Iraq: "Japan said it will "never give in" to terrorism after two of its diplomats were shot dead in Iraq, but stopped short of saying whether the attack would affect a plan to send troops to the war-torn country. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq deaths won't deter Japan in CNN - War in Iraq



Japan Diplomats Slain in Iraq, Japan Says Undaunted: "Unknown assailants ambushed and murderedtwo Japanese diplomats in northern Iraq, piling new pressure onthe Tokyo government as it weighs a decision on sending troopsto help rebuild that country. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



7 Spaniards Killed in Iraqi Ambush: "LATIFIYA, Iraq, Nov. 29 -- More than a dozen insurgents ambushed and killed seven Spanish intelligence officers on Saturday on a highway near this town south of Baghdad, according to witnesses and Spanish officials. (washingtonpost.com)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



S.Korea Team Says Need Combat Troops in Iraq -Yonhap: "A South Korean fact-finding team fromIraq would probably suggest the government also needs combattroops to help rebuild the country, the Yonhap News agencyreported on Sunday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Spain Unites to Mourn Seven Killed in Iraq: "Spain put aside political divisions onSunday to mourn seven intelligence agents killed in thedeadliest single attack on Spanish personnel in Iraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Spanish agents, Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq



Turks capture synagogue bombing suspect: "A central figure in the suicide bombing of an Istanbul synagogue was captured while trying to slip into Iran, police said Saturday. He was charged with trying to overthrow Turkey's "constitutional order" - an offense equivalent to treason."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraqi Leaders Say U.S. Was Warned of Disorder After Hussein, but Little Was Done: "More than a dozen Iraqi exile leaders said that they had warned the Bush administration about the chaos that could follow after Saddam Hussein was toppled."

In New York Times: World Special



Iraqis Learn Bureaucracy at Town Hall Meetings: "Local council members are the vanguard of democracy in Iraq; and they are a most unhappy lot."

In New York Times: World Special



'A Time of Our Choosing': Masters of War: "Based on reporting from The Times, Todd S. Purdum has written a guide to understanding the causes, conduct and consequences of the war in Iraq."

In New York Times: World Special



War is our Common Enemy: "Launched in February 2003 to "offer a humanitarian perspective during the then-looming conflict" in Iraq, Electronic Iraq (eIraq) is the project of two groups who will be familiar to many PN readers - Voices in the Wilderness (US) and Electronic Intifada. Peace News caught up with Nigel Parry, co-founder of both projects, to discuss the ethos behind this online information project. Peace News is a progressive publication that has been publishing since 1936."

In Electronic Iraq



Operation Iron Hammer assessed: "With the US pounding Iraqi towns with bombs and artillery in an effort to step up raids to catch oppositionists, human rights groups have expressed concern over the impact 'Operation Iron Hammer' could be having on local populations."

In Electronic Iraq



Fears of drop in school attendance due to insecurity: "As the school day comes to an end in the southern city of Basra, parents hurry to collect their children, especially if they are girls, from school gates for fear of them being kidnapped or attacked."

In Electronic Iraq



CIA admits lack of specifics on Iraqi weapons before invasion: "The US Central Intelligence Agency has acknowledged it "lacked specific information" about alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction when it compiled an intelligence estimate last year that served to justify the US-led invasion of Iraq. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



November Is Deadliest Month: "Seventy-seven U.S. troops died in November, the worst month for the U.S. so far. Seven Spaniards and two Japanese were killed in separate ambushes Saturday. The American military says some U.S.-trained police may be helping the insurgents."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



New Command Post Poll ...: "... over there on the right (below the ol' Ace of Spades)."

In Command Post: Irak



Spain's opposition: Get troops out of Iraq: "Hours after seven Spaniards were killed in an Iraqi ambush, the government doggedly promised Saturday to keep its troops in Iraq. But opposition politicians renewed demands for the soldiers to be returned home."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Hillary Clinton Meets With Iraq Officials: "U.S. senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jack Reed met in this oil-rich northern city Saturday with local officials who urged the visitors to raise the problems of their city with U.S. officials back home. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

'Embedded' by Tim Robbins Opens; Actor's Play Portrays Journos in Fictional War
'Embedded' by Tim Robbins Opens; Actor's Play Portrays Journos in Fictional War: "Robbins told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Stayton last week that vicious attacks on him and his family (especially his 13-year-old son) after he and Susan Sarandon came out against the war in the spring motivated him to write the play, which 'came really fast.' Among other things, Robbins was accused of being a traitor and his appearance at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to honor Bull Durham was cancelled. "



So in order to assuage his bruised ego he demoralizes the troops, emboldens the terrorists, and crushes the hearts of thousands of military familys with what is truly a pack of lies and calls it art.
Do you feel better Tim?
Art is great, timing is everything, and this isn't the time for that kind of art.
Tom Hanks where are you? We need you.
A Soldier's Mom
Patti Patton-Bader
Posted by: Patti / 1:45 PM
Iraq War News

Six Spanish Intelligence Officers Killed in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Shevardnadze says US planned overthrow as Bush sends delegation to assess Georgia's 'needs' in IraqWar.ru (English)



Talks Could Fail if No N Korea Pledge to Scrap Nukes in IraqWar.ru (English)



Anti-Terror Raids Target Islamists Across Europe in IraqWar.ru (English)



3 held in probe of network recruiting fighters for Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



In Iraq, scorn and praise for Bush visit in IraqWar.ru (English)



Ammunition was source of concern during US invasion of Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



White House's Iraq claims rapped in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush's visit showed US fear of Iraqis : Iran in IraqWar.ru (English)



How do we get out of Iraq? Kennedy, Owen, Alrawi, Rubin in IraqWar.ru (English)



US Is Worried Foe Is Tracking Targets in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Sen. Clinton More Time for Iraq Power Transfer in IraqWar.ru (English)



75 US Troops Die in November in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Turkey synagogue bombing suspect charged: "A central figure in the suicide bombing of an Istanbul synagogue was captured while trying to slip into Iran, police said Saturday. He was charged with trying to overthrow Turkey's "constitutional order" - an offense equivalent to treason."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Governor: Tikrit, Iraq open for business: "In a tightly guarded ceremony, the governor of Saddam Hussein's home province declared Saturday that the region was open for business, and thanked foreign businessmen who attended a gathering wearing flak jackets and helmets."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



77 U.S. troops die in November in Iraq: "November was the deadliest month yet for the American military in Iraq."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



7 Spanish intel officers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a team of Spanish intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing seven agents and wounding one, Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Spain mourns officers' deaths in Iraq: "Seven members of Spain's military intelligence agency were killed in Iraq and another was injured in an ambush, Defense Minister Federico Trillo confirmed Saturday night."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Troop families go to Iraq on peace mission: "Relatives of U.S. service members said they were nervous but hopeful Saturday as they embarked on a private peace mission to Iraq, where they will bring their message of friendship and doubts about the war."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Six Spanish recon soldiers killed in Iraq: "Attackers ambushed a convoy of Spanish military intelligence officers on a highway south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least six agents and wounding one, a Spanish defense ministry official said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

US press divided on appraisal of Bush's stealth visit to Baghdad: "President George W. Bush's surprise holiday visit to Baghdad was the main course in US newspapers' post-Thanksgiving issues Friday, but the dailies diverged in their assessments of the trip's outcome. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



New purported Bush tape raises fear of new attacks (28 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Paper: Israel weighs removing settlements: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip while simultaneously annexing blocs of West Bank settlements if peace efforts fail, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Analyst defends prewar spy data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Suspected Iraq Attack Recruiters Caught: "Three North African men were arrested in Italy and Germany as part of efforts to smash a network seeking to recruit Islamic militants for suicide attacks against coalition forces in Iraq, officials said Friday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Pentagon funds pro-U.S. network in Iraq: "One of the chief U.S. weapons in the battle to win Iraqi hearts and minds is Al-Iraqiya - a Pentagon-funded TV station with an optimistic, pro-American slant."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Rice defends Bush trip to Iraq: "President George W. Bush's national security adviser defended his lightning trip to Baghdad, denying it was a political stunt that inadvertently highlighted the chaos still blighting Iraq. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Analyst Defends Prewar Spy Data on Iraq: "A top U.S. intelligence analyst who supervised the production of the U.S. government's key prewar findings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs says he believes those conclusions were sound, even though many have not been validated. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war news
Bush wows troops with secret visit to Iraq: "US President George W. Bush was headed back to the United States after braving the threat of missiles over Baghdad to join 600 troops for an emotional Thanksgiving dinner in Iraq, in a trip arranged under strict secrecy. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraqi oil close to pre-war levels in IraqWar.ru (English)



A Paper Trail Follows Iraqi Merchants of Tyranny in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush makes surprise visit to Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraq's scientists get a new academy in IraqWar.ru (English)



Not enough troops in Iraq: Garner in IraqWar.ru (English)



US 'won't seek Iraq resolution' in IraqWar.ru (English)



Russia Praises IAEA Iran Resolution in IraqWar.ru (English)



Roadside bomb hits convoy outside Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)



Ex-U.S. general recalls mistakes made in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush visit underlines commitment to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



On Secret Iraq Trip, Bush Pays Holiday Visit to G.I.'s: "In one of the most secretive presidential trips in American history, George W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Baghdad."

In New York Times: World Special



Meeting of Iraqi Leaders Gives Lift to U.S. Plan on Power Shift: "The Iraqi Governing Council's president and a senior cleric appeared to be moving toward a compromise on a new government."

In New York Times: World Special



Guarding the Gaudy, G.I.'s Gorge Near a Hussein Palace: "Soldiers in the First Armored Division shared Thanksgiving dinner by the bombed-out palace of Saddam Hussein's youngest son."

In New York Times: World Special



Police ID explosives from Turkish attacks: "Ammonium nitrate-based explosives were used in four deadly suicide truck bombings in Istanbul, police said Thursday, as the bodies of two British diplomats were flown home after a somber ceremony."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Italy arrests five suspected terrorists: "Five people led by a suspected senior al-Qaeda operative were arrested late Thursday by Italian anti-terror police on suspicion of having recruited suicide attackers for strikes in Iraq, the Milan prosecutors office said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Ex-Iraqi General Dies During Interrogation: "A former Iraqi general died while under American interrogation, the U.S. military said Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush stuns troops with Iraq visit: "It was the biggest of holiday surprises."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Wanted to Avoid Label of Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Turkish town in shock after attacks: "His path to radicalism began four years before he blew himself up in front of a synagogue, part of what appeared to be a coordinated chain of deadly suicide attacks."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Secrecy Key to Bush Mission to Baghdad: "Behind President Bush'sextraordinary visit to Baghdad -- the first by any U.S.president -- was an elaborate plan that called for absolutesecrecy. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Didn't Want to Be Called Occupiers: "American military commanders did not impose curfews, halt looting or order Iraqis back to work after Saddam Hussein's regime fell because U.S. policymakers were reluctant to declare U.S. troops an occupying force, says an internal Army review examined by The Associated Press. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush's Iraq coup unlikely to boost US polls: "US President George W. Bush's surprise visit to troops in Iraq was a public relations coup, but is unlikely to boost sagging domestic support for US involvement in Iraq, analysts said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Inside Bush's Secret Trip to Baghdad: "Slouched in the back of a nondescriptvehicle with a baseball cap pulled over his face, PresidentBush sneaked out of Texas on the first leg of his bold trip toBaghdad. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



President Travels to Baghdad and Addresses Soldiers at Airport: "International Herald Tribune"

In New York Times: World Special



Iraqis May Be Moving Toward a Compromise on Government: "The head of the Iraqi Governing Council met with the senior cleric who has raised objections about a provisional government."

In New York Times: World Special

Iraq war news
U.S. arrests wife of Saddam deputy: "U.S. troops arrested the wife and daughter of a top Saddam Hussein deputy suspected of masterminding attacks on U.S. troops, and a major pipeline linking northern Iraqi oilfields to the country's biggest refinery was ablaze Wednesday."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



Palestinians salute U.S. on Israeli loan: "Palestinian officials on Wednesday welcomed a U.S. decision to deduct $289.5 million from loan guarantees to Israel, but said the penalty was insufficient to force Israel to stop building a security barrier or to end continued settlement building."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



Yemen arrests leading al-Qaida member: "Yemeni security forces captured a man described as one of the country's top al-Qaida leaders and the suspected mastermind of the suicide bombing of the USS Cole, after surrounding his hide-out west of the capital."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



U.S. troops get taste of home on holiday: "Far from the family Thanksgiving table and miles from Mom's turkey and stuffing, American troops deployed overseas during the holidays can still get a taste of home on Thanksgiving."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press

Iraq war news
Large explosions are heard in Baghdad: "Large explosions were heard after sundown Tuesday in central Baghdad but the precise location was unclear."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Eid Al-Fitr Reflects Iraq's Fragmentation: "For Sunni Muslims, it began Monday. Some Shiites started celebrating Tuesday. Others will wait until Wednesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Baghdad rattled by mortar attack: "Two mortars are fired in the centre of the Iraqi capital, sparking a security alert at the US-led administration."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Video Shows Iraqi Firing at Cargo Plane: "

A homemade videotape given to a French journalist showed a man firing a surface-to-air missile at a DHL cargo plane, moments after a U.S. helicopter flew overhead - apparently without noticing him.

The tape appeared to record the insurgent operation Saturday in which a missile struck the wing of a DHL cargo plane, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Baghdad's airport. It was the first time insurgents struck a civilian plane in Iraq. The U.S. military said there were no injuries to the three-member crew.

Full story...."

In Command Post: Irak

Iraq war news updates
Iraq shuts down Arab satellite channel; Muslim leader urges ceasefire: "Iraq's interim Governing Council said it was banning the Al-Arabiya satellite channel from working in Iraq for incitement to murder as a Sunni Muslim leader called for a week-long ceasefire to celebrate the feast marking the end of Ramadan, during which violence had surged. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq roadside bomb hurts one U.S. soldier: "Gunmen ambushed U.S. soldiers on patrol with a roadside bomb then opened fire on them in Mosul on Monday, wounding one, as fears grew that the anti-coalition insurgency was spreading north a day after two American soldiers were killed here and their bodies mauled."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraq Roadside Bomb Hurts One U.S. Soldier: "Gunmen ambushed U.S. soldiers on patrol with a roadside bomb then opened fire on them in Mosul on Monday, wounding one, as fears grew that the anti-coalition insurgency was spreading north a day after two American soldiers were killed here and their bodies mauled. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Pentagon now considering "post-war" Peacekeeping units in IraqWar.info



The Baath Party faithful were just in it for the money in IraqWar.info



Chirac meets Blair in first Franco-British summit since Iraq war: "French President Jacques Chirac met Prime Minister Tony Blair in London as the two leaders tried to repair a relationship severely strained by the US-led invasion of Iraq in March. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Secret Pentagon memo details Saddam-bin Laden ties: "A conservative US magazine said it had obtained a classified US government memo purporting to prove that the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein had contacts with al-Qaeda and was implicated in the September 11, 2001 attacks. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq interim leadership bans al-Arabiya over Saddam broadcast: "Iraq's US-installed interim Governing Council announced it was banning Dubai-based satellite television al-Arabiya from working in Iraq for incitement to murder after it broadcast a Saddam Hussein tape calling for attacks on the council's members. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war news updates
Chirac meets Blair in first Franco-British summit since Iraq war: "French President Jacques Chirac met Prime Minister Tony Blair in London as the two leaders tried to repair a relationship severely strained by the US-led invasion of Iraq in March. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Secret Pentagon memo details Saddam-bin Laden ties: "A conservative US magazine said it had obtained a classified US government memo purporting to prove that the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein had contacts with al-Qaeda and was implicated in the September 11, 2001 attacks. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq interim leadership bans al-Arabiya over Saddam broadcast: "Iraq's US-installed interim Governing Council announced it was banning Dubai-based satellite television al-Arabiya from working in Iraq for incitement to murder after it broadcast a Saddam Hussein tape calling for attacks on the council's members. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



'More difficult than originally planned': "Read the grim litanyof a single weekend's violence in Iraq: Two U.S. soldiers pummeled by crowds with their throats already slit; another killed by a roadside bomb; successful rocket attacks on an airplane and the suspension of civilian flights; 12 police officials illed in three different incidents; and so on. It makes this understatementseem like a sick joke: "Army planning for Iraq currently assumes keeping about 100,000 United States troops there through early 2006, a senior Army officer said Friday. The plans reflect the concerns of some Army officials that stabilizing Iraq could be more difficult than originally planned.""

In Alternet: War On Iraq



Hezbollah, in Iraq, Refrains From Attacks on Americans: "Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite group, has established a significant presence in Iraq, but is not taking part in attacks on American forces inside the country."

In New York Times: World Special



2 G.I.'s, Throats Slashed, Found Dead in Iraq: "Three American soldiers were killed in Iraq on Sunday, including two whose throats were slashed after they came under attack in the city of Mosul with rocks and gunfire."

In New York Times: World Special



A Paper Trail Follows Iraqi Merchants of Tyranny: "Documents from the Baath Party's headquarters show that the common passion that drove its members was money."

In New York Times: World Special



Of bombs and bombast (23 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



A High Price for Speaking Up (22 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Canada's egomaniacal king of corporate excess comes a cropper: Lord Black's ignoble fall from grace (23 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Three U.S. troops killed in Iraq: "Attackers slit the throats of two American soldiers who were waiting in traffic in this northern Iraqi city on Sunday, witnesses said. Another soldier was killed in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



IRAQI POLICE STATIONS ATTACKED in CENTCOM: News Release



IRAQIS PREVENT IED ATTACK IN 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION?S AREA OF OPERATION in CENTCOM: News Release



TASK FORCE ?ALL-AMERICAN? OPERATIONS CONTINUE TO MAKE IRAQ SAFER in CENTCOM: News Release



US warns of worldwide terrorism risk (23 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Canada's egomaniacal king of corporate excess comes a cropper: Lord Black's ignoble fall from grace in Radio Free USA

Iraq War News
British troops in Iraq arrest Australian man suspected of ties to Saddam: "Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said an Australian man, suspected of being a Saddam Hussein loyalist, had been arrested by British troops in Iraq. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Republican Governors Voice Concerns on Iraq: "Republicans at a governors' association meeting raised concerns about the Bush administration's ability to communicate its policies on Iraq."

In New York Times: World Special



Iraq Picks American as Ambassador to U.S.: "BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 22 ? An Iraqi-American activist whose foundation has spent much of the last decade devising visions of democratic rule for Iraq and lobbying for a war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein, will become the country's diplomatic representative in Washington, Iraqi political leaders said Saturday."

In New York Times: World Special



Iraqi Town Relishes Freedom, but Resentment Runs Beneath: "Kifl, a small, dusty village on the Euphrates, is one measure of America's halting progress since Saddam Hussein's overthrow."

In New York Times: World Special

Iraq War News
U.S. rips Iran for nuke program 'lies': "The United States assailed Iran on Friday for "lies" about its nuclear program and voiced unprecedented criticism of the U.N. atomic agency chief, suggesting he glossed over 18 years of deception that included enriching uranium and processing plutonium."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Militants call Palestinians traitors: "A leader of the Hamas militant group told thousands at a rally Friday that Palestinians who negotiated a symbolic peace agreement with Israel are traitors."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Has Too Few Informants in Iraq: "The U.S. military still has too few trained intelligence specialists and Arabic interpreters in Iraq, despite stepped-up efforts, as it works to find out who's behind a surge of guerrilla attacks, the Pentagon's intelligence chief said Friday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



NATO Chief Hopeful on Afghan Aid, Seeks Iraq Talks: "NATO chief George Robertsonvoiced confidence Friday that allies would offer resources toextend Afghan peacekeeping beyond Kabul and called successthere a requirement before discussing any NATO role in Iraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Guerrillas Fire Rockets at Fortified Baghdad Sites: "Guerrillas fired rockets from donkeycarts at Iraq's Oil Ministry and two Baghdad hotels used byWesterners on Friday in audacious strikes on heavily fortifiedsites linked to the U.S.-led occupation. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraqis Shut Out of Lucrative Rebuilding Deals: "BAGHDAD, Nov 21 (IPS) - U.S. officials have shut Iraqis out of the business of reconstruction contracts, many local businessmen say. (OneWorld.net)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraqis on Iraq: "A fascinating journey through Iraq written up in the Israeli newspaper Haaretzexamines the question of Iraq's future through conversations and encounters with Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis, concluding that "The longing of the Iraqi people for a society based on basic human rights sometimes appears strong enough to overcome fragmentation into ethnic groups and religious differences, but at other times seems fragile and tentative.""

In Alternet: War On Iraq

U.S.-Backed Mayor of Fallujah Resigns: "Taha Bedawi, the U.S.-backed mayor of this volatile city west of Baghdad, resigned Thursday amid mounting criticism of his performance, the local U.S. military commander said. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Scholars discover parts of New Testament: "A barely legible clue - the name "Simon" carved in Greek letters - beckoned from high up on the weather-beaten facade of an ancient burial monument."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Bomb Attack in Iraq Kills U.S. Soldier, Army Says: "A bomb detonated as a U.S. convoy drovepast Thursday killed one American soldier and wounded two nearthe restive Iraqi town of Ramadi, a military spokeswoman said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US forces arrest Saddam's brother-in-law: Iraqi police: "US forces have arrested Arshad Yassin, a brother-in-law of Saddam Hussein who was also his personal helicopter pilot and a senior figure in his close protection force until the early 1990s, a high ranking Iraqi police officer said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush Says Will Send More Troops to Iraq if Needed: "President Bush left open the possibilityon Thursday of sending more American troops to Iraq but saidsecurity on the ground would be the deciding factor. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Arab countries condemn Turkey blasts: "Arab countries joined the rest of the world in condemning Thursday's suicide bombings in Istanbul, Turkey, with the Syrian information minister calling the attacks "a barbarous crime.""

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



HSBC bank says it won't leave Turkey: "HSBC Holdings PLC, the London-based bank targeted in one of Thursday's deadly terrorist bombings in Istanbul, said the attacks wouldn't force it to leave Turkey."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Reservist in Iraq gets word he's fired--again

By Colleen Mastony
Tribune staff reporter
Posted November 19 2003

Email story
Print story
STORIES
Insurer rescinds policy of firing reservists
Nov 19, 2003



Twice since the terrorist attacks of 2001, Army Reservist Anthony Marcukaitis of Carol Stream has answered his country's call to duty, and twice the insurance company he worked for fired him.

Country Insurance and Financial Services, which is based in Bloomington, Ill., said Tuesday that the action is the result of a longstanding policy: Employees who are on leave for more than 9 months are automatically terminated. But it said it rehires servicemen when they return.

Military officials say the policy violates federal law, which prohibits employers from firing people who take time off to serve in the armed forces. Companies are not required to pay salaries or benefits for soldiers on leave, but they must reinstate the person at the same level and with any benefits and promotions they would have earned had they been working.

The law dates to World War II and was strengthened in 1994 after reservists returning from the gulf war reported trouble getting jobs back and recouping benefits.

Marcukaitis, 56, a Vietnam War veteran serving in Iraq with the 814th Military Police Company, was fired days after President Bush declared this National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.

The incident highlights growing confusion nationwide as companies struggle to meet their responsibilities to employees with increasingly time-consuming military obligations. Reservists who for years spent one weekend a month and two full weeks a year training, often close to home, are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq for a year or longer. Some, like Marcukaitis, are on their second lengthy deployment in two years.

A national hot line that fields questions from companies and reservists about employment issues reported that after Sept. 11, 2001, the number of calls it received nearly tripled, to 22,000 a year from 8,000.

In February, Marcukaitis left his job as an insurance adjuster, expecting to return in January. But the military extended his tour, and Marcukaitis expects to be deployed until June. He heard he had been fired Tuesday during a 5-minute 1 a.m. telephone call home to his wife, who received the termination letter from Country Insurance on Monday.

"He just said, `I can't believe they did this to me,'" said Marcukaitis's wife, Bonnie, 56. "He was hurt and brokenhearted. He said, `I don't think they understand the situation.'

"Poor excuse as far as I'm concerned," she said.

Officials at Country Insurance said they support employees' military service. They said the company gives reservists their full salary for the first 10 days of their leave, extends their benefits for 9 months and fills for 6 months any gap between company salary and military pay--none of which is required by law. The termination policy was crafted to establish consistency with disability leave, which also has a 9-month cutoff, company officials said.

"Technically he has been terminated, that is true," said Cathy Oloffson, a spokeswoman for the company. "This leave policy coincides with other leave policies. ... We believe it is [good] to have a consistent administrative policy.

"We are very proud of our employees serving in the military, and when they return, they have a job."

Since the terror attacks, the federal government has activated 350,000 guardsmen and reservists, the largest call-up since the Korean War. As mobilizations continue and deployments are extended, advocates argue, more needs to be done to educate employers about their responsibilities.

The Department of Labor opens an average of 900 cases on behalf of reservists each year. But after Sept. 11, the number of cases began increasing, with 1,200 cases in 2002 and 1,300 in 2003, according to Mike Biddle, a department spokesman.

Marcukaitis has worked for Country Insurance for five years. His status as an Army reservist had never taken him away from work for an extended period until September 2001, when his unit was dispatched to Texas to guard an Army base for 11 months.

The company issued a termination letter at the time, and Marcukaitis scrambled to respond, thinking he had lost his job, his wife said. He contacted company officials and was rehired upon his return. Marcukaitis was on the job for six months before his unit was called up again in February.

Marcukaitis hit the company's 9-month termination mark again this month.

In addition to the termination letter, Country Insurance sent Marcukaitis a second letter explaining its policy of rehiring servicemen, but that one was delivered to the firm's Insurance's Schaumburg office where he worked, rather than to his home, said Eric Schuller, an aide to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn who contacted the company on behalf of Marcukaitis.
Sun-Sentinel: Strange But True

Iraq war updates
Six arrested for Turkey synagogues blast: "Authorities arrested six people in connection with the suicide bombings of two Istanbul synagogues as opposition leaders accused Turkey's government on Wednesday of being too lenient toward Muslim radicals."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Bush Acknowledges Iraq Gesture to Iran: "The Bush administration confirmed on Wednesday that Iraq has made overtures to Iran and said it was up to Baghdad to work out its relations with its neighbors. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Accused U.S. commander at pretrial hearing: "An Army officer fought back tears Wednesday as he acknowledged threatening to shoot an Iraqi detainee to extract information about a planned attack, saying that to protect his troops, he would "go to hell with a gasoline can in my hand.""

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Child killed in Iraq car bomb attack: "A car bomb exploded outside the home of a tribal leader in a city west of the capital on Wednesday, killing one child in yet another attack aimed at a U.S. ally."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Rumsfeld: NATO help in Iraq not expected: "More direct help from NATO in Iraq would be welcome but is unlikely, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Ramadi car bomb kills child, hurts others: "A car bomb exploded late Wednesday outside the home of a pro-American tribal leader in Ramadi, killing one child, a resident said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Changes Military Strategy in Iraq: "The U.S. military's counteroffensive in Iraq features a major shift in tactics: aggressive combat against guerrilla hide-outs and training camps using American precision bombs and missiles rarely seen since the war last spring. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq blast targets pro-US leader: "A bomb explodes near the home of a tribal leader in central Iraq, as US forces tackle insurgents in the area."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Protests hit Iraq 'Coalition TV': "Iraqis protest against "immodest images" on the coalition-run national television station, reports say."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



TF ?ALL AMERICAN? CAPTURES ATTACKER OF POLICE CHIEF?S SON in CENTCOM: News Release



Vaccines Eyed In GIs Death: "One health panel says it suspects vaccines may have played a role in the death of a 22-year-old Army medic, but another board disagrees. It's the latest development in a running debate over vaccine safety."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Bush issues Iraq peace vow in London: "George Bush has told an audience of foreign policy and defence experts in London's Banqueting House that he is still determined to bring democracy to Iraq and the wider Middle East."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



US pounds Iraqi targets with massive bombs: "The US Air Force has used some of the largest weapons in its inventory to attack targets in central Iraq as part of the escalating crackdown on suspected guerrilla strongholds."

In Ananova: War In Iraq

Iraq War News
Japan PM Set for Re-Election, Iraq Dispatch on Hold: "Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was setto be re-elected on Wednesday at the start of a briefparliamentary session as Japan grappled with the touchyquestion of when to send non-combat troops to help rebuildIraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US says new UN resolution on Iraq could be a "possibility": "The United States said that a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq's accelerated transition to self-rule could be a "possibility," but officials underlined the US is not actively seeking such a measure. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



List of Victims in Iraq Copter Collision: "Two Black Hawk helicopters collided Saturday in Iraq, killing 17 soldiers from the 101st Airborne based in Fort Campbell, Ky. The Department of Defense and family members have identified those killed as: (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Plans New U.N. Iraq Resolution: "The United States wants a new U.N. resolution to endorse the agreement between the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S.-led coalition for a handover of power to a provisional Iraqi government in June 2004, U.N. diplomats said Tuesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Tuesday, Nov. 18, 422 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Mosul's pacification messages: "Mosul could have been a firecracker in post-war Iraq, but understandings on both sides have allayed trouble."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Italy honours its Iraq dead: "A final tribute has been paid to the 19 Italians killed in Iraq last week with a state funeral and a national day of mourning."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Bush flies in to Fortress London (18 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



82D AIRBORNE DIVISION CONTINUES CRACK DOWN ON INSURGENTS in CENTCOM: News Release



101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION DISCOVERS WEAPONS CACHES in CENTCOM: News Release



101ST ROUNDS UP EIGHT SUSPECTS, WEAPONS DURING SEARCHES in CENTCOM: News Release



International seminar on the Role of the Media in Peacebuilding in RISQ

Sharon says he'll meet Palestinian PM: "Israeli and Palestinian premiers will meet soon, Israel's prime minister said Monday, opening prospects for talks to end more than three years of conflict as a top Egyptian official came to the West Bank to promote a cease-fire."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Brit Envoy: We Warned U.S.: "A former British ambassador to the United States says British officials warned their American counterparts that more postwar planning was needed, but were ignored."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Did Saddam Dupe His Generals?: "Writing in The Weekly Standard, former CIA director James Woolsey says U.S. intellgence may have thought Saddam had WMDs because that's precisely what Saddam's own generals thought."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



CIA: Not Sure Saddam Tape Real: "An audiotape supposedly made by Saddam Hussein urged Iraqis to escalate attacks against the occupation and "agents brought by foreign armies." The CIA says it can't tell whether that's really Saddam on the tape."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis

Bush to find warmth, antagonism in London: "President Bush is joining with America's staunchest ally in the war in Iraq for a state visit that promises contrasting pictures of elegant ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and noisy street protests by thousands of anti-war demonstrators."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



Muhammad seeks to avoid death sentence: "Was John Allen Muhammad a man who tenderly looked after his children while they lived in a shelter, or a callous killer who deserves to die for masterminding the Washington area sniper shootings?"

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



U.N. agency begins Afghan withdrawl: "The U.N. refugee agency began pulling foreign staff out of large swaths of southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday in the wake of the killing of a French worker, a decision that could affect tens of thousands of Afghan returnees."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



Bomb blast wounds 2 U.S. troops in Mosul: "A bomb blast wounded two U.S. soldiers Tuesday in the northern city of Mosul while U.S. aircraft and tanks blasted trees and abandoned buildings along a road north of Baghdad to deny insurgents cover for rocket attacks."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press

THAT IRAQIS WOULD overwhelmingly receive American power and American troops as saviors and models to emulate we had serious doubts about from the beginning.
It certainly does not appear so now. In Iraq, anti-American resentment and resistance mounts by the day. Civilian deaths and American casualties grow (40 dead American soldiers in the first 10 days of November). American generals despair of having no useful intelligence while the soldier on the ground grows hair on his trigger-finger. Frustration and anger grow apace. The dictum speaks now of hammering with overwhelming force. Two thousand pound bombs drop again. Trent Lott called it not long ago in his remark about “mowing them down,” if need be.
With America on the brink of war back in November 2002 we stated the lives of many - including American Indian soldiers and citizens - depended on the good judgment of President George W. Bush and the people around him in power in America. Given the tremendously high stakes and dangers weapons of mass destruction pose (should they fall into the hands of murderous ideologues), it was entirely appropriate for the world community to cooperate on holding Iraq accountable and halting their proliferation. On that point it seems the world agreed. But on the rush to war it did not.

AMERICANS IN HARMS WAY
We further stated the safety of American people at home and particularly abroad - the very perception the world has about Americans - perhaps for decades to come, hangs in the balance. That balance has now titled away from America as it has become more clear that the Administration’s judgments were based on bad or fictitious intelligence and motivated by foreign policy and national security strategies that, while they may have looked good on the blackboard, have not squared with political, social and cultural realities on the ground.






• Indian Country Today front






More and more people seem to notice that Iraq has gone from a despicable and controlled society, to a chaotic violent situation, extremely difficult to rein in and one that fuels on itself as spiraling social violence always tends to. Blame the Baathists, terrorists and the Jihadists, but this is like blaming sharks for coming to blood in the water. You knew there were sharks and how they respond, yet you spilled the blood and then left your people in the water.
With the smart bombing, so-called collateral damage - that is, the killing of innocent civilians - mounts accordingly. Mowing them down, as predicted by Lott, seems to be happening. Here, the American-appointed mayor of two million Shiites in the town of Sadr, is shot to death by soldiers supposed to be guarding his compound; there, six professional Iraqi oil workers are shot and killed in their van by an American patrol. Nationalism and resentment entwine while the talk at high administration levels is to remold the present Iraqi Council, an almost whimsical shift in policy that only proves to everyone what everyone already knows - that the whole democracy-building exercise in Iraq is a singularly American adventure. Growing hatred of the outside occupier leads to even less intelligence, even as foreign Jihadists (who never would have dared under Saddam) work to carve out a piece of Iraq for themselves. It is an old pattern for occupying armies. Throughout history, the specter of war without end spelled the final collapse of many an empire.

LEAD FOR PEACE
America can not change that historical pattern with war. America must lead for peace. Resolving old hatreds is not easy and calling to dialogue, even with your own worst enemy, is the only true path to peace and world prosperity. Nothing else can work, even for a country with the power to destroy the world. Americans, by definition, tend to talk to a certain class of people - the technocratic rational world of professionals, which understands itself, regardless of country. The common people everywhere, however, endure differently and suffer most horribly. Among the masses of suffering families, mostly the emotional commonality rules. Any foreigner that makes your family suffer long enough, that kills enough of your people, regardless of purpose, will incur intense and long-term wrath. This is a rule of both family and country that throughout history has proven inevitable and incontrovertible in its truth.
We troubled about this likelihood as the American neo-conservative movement circled its wagons around President Bush to hastily pursue the strategy of war on Iraq. It did not seem right to commit a huge chunk of the American army to permanent guard duty in the most dangerous corner of the world. It did not seem at all strategic or wise to insult and disregard the importance of a United Nations structure in these perilous times. What seemed proper and not at all idealist to us was for the U.S. to lead global dialogues for peace in the world, which hosted by the greatest superpower on earth, would set a tone and a pace for a true and new international agenda. This to be done while moving resolutely to squash Al Queda, thus continuing to directly attack the main source of violence against the U.S. We could see that the world relished U.S. enforcement against Al Queda, and understood the need for the Afghanistan campaign. But the invasion and occupation of a country not currently a threat, and as it now appears under poor and false intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction, and misleading pretexts in its dealing with the international community, seemed prematurely adventurous and ill-conceived.
Perhaps the intent was positive in the minds of some of the war planners. Certainly the valor of so many U.S. servicemen and women is heart-strengthening. But as the weeks drag on, security indicators are all clearly negative. The new war policy has clearly harnessed the most intensified international condemnation and hostility ever directed at the American people, with layers upon layers of enemies. The Muslim world sizzles with undercurrents of boiling anger that drives a cruel, all-or-nothing strategy, while Europe as a whole looks with condescension upon an American folly.
America is in Iraq full force. It can not stay without shedding blood and from all indications, it can not afford to leave. An adventure of great magnitude now leads the U.S. through a war-without-end, with young Americans of every race and color, including American Indians, dying merciless deaths over political designs and cultural hatreds beyond their understandings and certainly not of their making. Sure seems like a quagmire now.
Has Iraq reached Quagmire stage?

Iraq War Updates
What Iraq will get isn't self-rule (17 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Questions for President Bush's next press conference (17 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Bush pulls out of speech to Parliament (17 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Top Iraqi Scientist Flees to Iran: "The Iraqi scientist who headed Saddam Hussein's long-range missile program has fled to neighboring Iran, a country identified as a state sponsor of terrorism with a successful missile program and nuclear ambitions, U.S. officers involved in the weapons hunt told The Associated Press.
Dr. Modher Sadeq-Saba al-Tamimi's departure comes as top weapons makers from Saddam's deposed regime find themselves eight months out of work but with skills that could be lucrative to militaries or terrorist organizations in neighboring countries. U.S. officials have said some are already in Syria and Jordan.
Full story at Fox"

In Command Post: Irak

Iraq war news
U.S. Launches "Massive" Offensive: ""The 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse has launched a series of combined arms operations to include air and ground strikes against identified targets," a statement from U.S. Central Command said, "along with precision raids against non-compliant groups and individuals focused on neutralizing paramilitary, former regime loyalists, foreign fighters and other extremist and subversive elements with task force area of responsibility."
More at CNN"

In Command Post: Irak



U.S., Canadian Jews head to Jerusalem: "More than 4,000 U.S. and Canadian Jews on Sunday began a four-day convention in Israel, the largest of its kind, planning to discuss issues like immigration and anti-Semitism and show support for the embattled country."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Palestinian groups seem ready for truce: "Palestinian militants are sending "very positive" signals that they are ready for a cease-fire with Israel, a top aide to the Palestinian prime minister said Sunday, a day before Egypt's intelligence chief arrives for truce talks."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. troops take on guerrillas in Iraq: "Troops flooded a Baghdad neighborhood in a new U.S. military offensive against guerrillas Sunday, as an audiotape purportedly made by Saddam Hussein urged Iraqis to escalate their fight against the occupation."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraq handover too slow - France: "The French foreign minister urges the US to act sooner on the creation of a provisional Iraqi government."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

French U.N. worker killed in Afghanistan
JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press: "One of two Afghan men on a motorcycle opened fire Sunday on a marked United Nations' car, killing a French aid worker, the first international U.N. staff member slain in postwar Afghanistan. Police identified the captured assailants as Taliban militants."

Iraq War News
'Saddam' tape taunts US military: "A recording purportedly of Saddam Hussein says the occupying forces in Iraq have reached "a dead end"."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Bremer: US in tough fight in Iraq: "America's top man in Iraq says the US is in "a tough fight" there and its forces will stay on after political power is handed over."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Gambling on Plan B: "The US decision to hand over power by the end of June is a recognition that its policy has failed, writes Paul Reynolds."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Unreported attacks: "The BBC's Martin Asser sees victims of violent crime at a Baghdad hospital."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



US To Help Ink Iraqi Constitution: "Iraq?s new constitution will embody American values, including a bill of rights, says America's chief postwar administrator, L. Paul Bremer. Enemy fire may have caused the crash of two U.S. helicopters Saturday that killed 17 American soldiers."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis

Two Black Hawks Down; 17 Dead: "Five troops were hurt and one was unaccounted for, military officials said. One chopper was said to have been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, and witnesses reported the two aircraft collided in mid-air."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Timetable set for Iraq transfer: "The US-led coalition in Iraq will hand over power to a transitional government by next June, it is announced."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



CIVIL AFFAIRS, PATROLS MAKE IRAQ BETTER PLACE FOR RESIDENTS in CENTCOM: News Release



PROGRESS MADE IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE in CENTCOM: News Release



101ST RAIDS NET ALLEGED TERRORISTS OPERATING IN NORTHERN IRAQ in CENTCOM: News Release



US to hand over power by mid-2004: "The US-led coalition will hand power to a transitional Iraqi government by June, the Iraqi Governing Council says."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

The wounds of war
U.S. soldiers who survive attacks in Iraq often face lasting injuries
By John Simerman
CONTRA COSTA TIMES



The ambush came in darkness, as an Army convoy rolled past dirt fields 25 miles south of Baghdad.

Through night-vision goggles, Pfc. Reed Rosenkranz of Pittsburg could make out rubble in the distance. He sat behind the driver in the lead Humvee, a radio pack strapped across his back. A heavy Kevlar vest shielded his torso -- but not his legs, not his arms, not his eyes.

The explosion sent the Humvee spinning. It ripped the goggles from his head. It tore him up.

"All it was was a flash of light, ears ringing and you've got wounds all over you," he said of the Oct. 6 blast that took his right eye, shot shrapnel through his limbs and killed two soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter in the same vehicle.

"They can't shoot worth the darnedest," said the 24-year-old private, who returned home last week. "The only thing they're getting us with is improvised explosive devices." (IEDs)


Now home on convalescent leave, he is among a rising count of U.S. troops wounded or killed in Iraq with powerful makeshift bombs. Fashioned from old ordnance, rigged with trip-wires or remote triggers, they are set off along U.S. troop routes with alarming frequency and brutal force, military officials say.

Roadside bombs have killed dozens of U.S. soldiers and caused a swelling number of severe wounds to arms, legs and other body parts left unprotected by helmets, flak vests and new "interceptor" body armor.

"There's no real 100 percent protection out here," said Sgt. Danny Martin, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq. "When you rig three or four or five tank rounds together, it can create a rather large explosion."

Since President Bush on May 1 declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq, 1,416 soldiers have been wounded in action, compared to 551 prior to May 1, according to the Department of Defense. Of the 270 U.S. troop deaths attributed to hostilities in Iraq, 156 have come after May 1.

Many of the deaths and injuries were the result of roadside explosives, now "the most widely used weapon out here," said Martin. "They're extremely tough to find."

In October alone, IEDs killed 17 U.S. troops. Since Nov. 1, 11 more soldiers have been killed by IEDs or mines, according to Defense reports.

"It's a whole different war than the war that was going on before (May 1)," said Dr. Lynn Welling, a Navy captain who was attached to a shock trauma platoon in Iraq. "You're cruising around on a routine patrol and a car bomb goes off nearby. It's a terrorist fight right now."

Perhaps 70 percent of the wounds now are to extremities, said Welling. U.S. military medical staff have met greater success saving soldiers' lives than in past wars. In Korea, Vietnam and the first gulf war, about one in four wounded U.S. soldiers died. In this war, about one in eight die.

Welling credits better body armor, more soldiers wearing it, and a strategy to place better-equipped medical units closer to the action. Most battlefield deaths, he said, are from blood loss.

"We're getting the wounded back," he said.

As the toll rises, U.S. military hospital beds are filling with soldiers.

When Rosenkranz reached Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington a week after the blast, he saw many soldiers who lost eyes or limbs. According to the Army Medical Command, 52 U.S. soldiers wounded in Iraq have had one or more limbs amputated.

"I'm seeing guys with missing hands, with two hooks he'll have for the rest of his life. A lot of people lost eyes," said Rosenkranz. "I'd rather have a missing eye than a missing leg. I can still see with my left eye."

A shard of shrapnel, about a quarter-inch long, lodged in the back of his right eye. Doctors told him an infection in the blinded eye could creep over to the other eye. They removed the eyeball.

In two plastic bottles, he keeps the sharp chunks that ripped into his face, a wrist and both legs in al-Haswah. About five other pieces remain lodged deep in his leg. His muscles tighten around them. At some point, doctors told him, his body will reject them.

Now relaxing at home in Pittsburg with his wife, Allison, Rosenkranz will return to the East Coast next month for further treatment. The couple wed in January, five days before he left for basic training.

Rosenkranz counts himself lucky. A radio telephone operator, he usually sat behind the passenger seat, closer to where the bomb exploded, he said. On this ride, Lt. Richard Torres wanted the interpreter in that seat.

"I should've been sitting where he was," said Rosenkranz. "I definitely feel God was on my side."

Torres, Pfc. Kerry D. Scott and the interpreter died in the blast. The driver, an Army specialist, was the only other survivor. He also lost an eye -- the left one.

Rosenkranz still keeps his dark hair closely cropped. Drawn to military service after the Sept. 11 attacks, he wishes he could return to Iraq, to finish the job.

"I know my platoon needs me," he said. But with one eye, the young private is considered non-deployable. He seems resigned to a discharge and a Purple Heart.

He spent barely a month in Iraq -- a tour cut short, but long enough to see the rubble ahead.

"There's just tons of resistance over there," he said. "There's no way we can stop all of it. It's going to take a while."

Army Private First Class Reed Rosenkranz lost an eye and suffered many shrapnel wounds during an ambush south of Baghdad. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times)

Ohio.com - Northeast Ohio's Home Page

Iraq War News
Suicide car bombers kill 15 in Turkey: "Suicide car bombers attacked two synagogues in Istanbul at almost the same time during Sabbath prayers on Saturday, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 140, the interior minister said."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press



Three U.S. soldiers face court-martial: "Three American soldiers refused to plead Saturday to charges of abusing Iraqi prisoners of war, and will face separate court-martials in January, a military spokesman said."

In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press

Iraq War News
US works on power transfer to Iraqis under alarming violence surge: "The United States has moved to speed up the handover of power to the Iraqis by mid-2004, amid an alarming surge of violence that left another four more Americans dead despite a new US offensive to quell resistance to the occupation. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bomb kills US soldier in Baghdad, wounds two: military: "A roadside bomb exploded as an army convoy drove by in Baghdad, killing one US soldier and wounding two, the US military said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bremer, Iraq Council Meet; Soldier Killed: "Chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer on Saturday presented Iraq's Governing Council with Washington's new policy proposals aimed at speeding up Iraq's sovereignty, officials said. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



'US offering Iraq independence by summer': "The US is prepared to grant Iraq independence by next summer."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Friday is gloomy memo day: "A new CIA memo says that resistance to the US occupation in Iraq is clearly increasing.       A new Israeli memo admits that the country has done anything but comply with the "road map" for peace, constructing more settlements and trying to "whitewash their existence".       Yesterday British..."

In Catalyzer Newsroom



US steps up assault on Iraqi foes: "US forces step up air and ground attacks on Iraqi insurgents, killing seven after two more US soldiers died."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Centcom boosts Qatar HQ: "US Central Command sends up to 300 extra staff to its forward HQ in Qatar to help support its operations in Iraq."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Iran leader rips U.S. occupation of Iraq: "Iran's supreme leader said Friday that America's military occupation of Iraq was failing and criticized President Bush's call for greater democracy in the Middle East."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. general treads carefully in Iraq: "The tribal sheiks in Anbar had a clear message for Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr. - the detention of Iraqi women is only creating new enemies for America."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Coalition steps up security in Basra to ward off attacks: "Coalition forces heightened security in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, temporarily confining coalition civilian staff to their headquarters following a string of bomb blasts here and a deadly suicide attack in Nasiriyah, officials said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Busy News Day in Iraq: "An Apache helicopter killed seven suspected "insurgents" who were preparing to launch a rocket attack in Tikrit. 600 rockets were found at the scene.
One civilian contracter was killed an another injured when gunmen opened fire on a convoy in Balad.
Gunmen injured a Porteguese reporter and kidnapped another in Basra.
A roadside bomb exploded in Baghdad, injuring three."

In Command Post: Irak

Sound familiar?: "According to the New York Observer, the Coalition Provisional Authority has "severely limited" journalists access to newsworthy people and places in Iraq, including provisional government authorities. "In an effort to stanch the flow of reporting on small-scale terrorist activity and the resulting injuries to U.S. troops, sources said, morgues and hospitals in Baghdad have become impenetrable to reporters. Reporters have found their access to police stations cut off. When access is granted, reporters said, the C.P.A. often assigns 'minders' to accompany them," reports the Observer. Continue »"

In Alternet: War On Iraq



Give a hoot, don't salute: "While a group of women representing the Hooters restaurant chain were allowed to keep marching, a group of 30 military veterans critical of the war in Iraq who had properly registered were forcibly removed from a Veterans Day parade in Tallahassee. "Honor the Warrior, Not the War," read their banner. Continue »"

In Alternet: War On Iraq



More mayhem: "Reports on the latest bombing in Iraqhave 17 Italians and possibly eight Iraqis slain in Nasiriyah. The attack on one of the United State's few coalition partners instantly fuels controversy back in Rome, since the Italy's involvement in the war was opposed by most Italians but pushed through by staunch Bush ally Silvio Berlusconi, the country's billionaire prime minister."

In Alternet: War On Iraq



Documenting the carnage: "A British medical charity, MedAct, has produced an Oxfam-funded study titled "Continuing Collateral Damage: The health and environmental costs of war on Iraq," which calculates the toll of the war, both in terms of casualties and "how the general state of health of the Iraqi people, already poor by international standards, has been compromised further." According to the study, between 21,700 and 55,000 Iraqis died between March 20 and October 20 because of the conflict."

In Alternet: War On Iraq

Iraq War News
Saudi blast drives push for democracy: "The bombing that killed 17 people in the Saudi capital is intensifying pressure for democratic reform in Saudi Arabia, and is likely to undercut the militants' support among Arabs who previously sympathized to some degree with their goals."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Bush changes Iraqi election plan: "Under pressure from Baghdad and U.S. allies, the Bush administration is rewriting its political plan for Iraq to speed the transfer of power with elections in the first half of next year and formation of a new government before a constitution is written, officials said Thursday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



US army brushes off Iraq attacks: "The head of US Central Command puts the number of militants in Iraq at no more than 5,000."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Bush to speed up Iraqi handover: "President Bush says steps are being taken to speed up transferring power to Iraqis, amid mounting casualties."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



France urges policy shift on Iraq: "The French foreign minister calls for a change of American strategy in Iraq to end a spiral of violence in the country."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Italy blames al-Qaeda for blast: "Silvio Berlusconi says his country will not be deterred by a bomb in Nasiriya which killed 18 Italians."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Baghdad HQ in fresh attack: "The coalition base in Iraq comes under fire as the top US civil administrator goes home to discuss the spate of attacks."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Handing over the keys: "The US is ready to speed up a handover of power, writes Paul Reynolds."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

World Wide Web Sites

Iraq War News
U.S. Troops More Hostile With Reporters: "With casualties mounting in Iraq, jumpy U.S. soldiers are becoming more aggressive in their treatment of journalists covering the conflict. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush, Bremer discuss speeding Iraqi self-rule: "US President George W. Bush moved to accelerate the shift to self-rule in Iraq, stepping up pressure on its US-anointed Governing Council as a massive bombing struck an Italian base. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Sharon signals willingness to compromise: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday he is prepared to make compromises for the sake of peace but would not make concessions on security issues."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



White House rethinks rejected Iraq advice: "After largely ignoring advice from Europeans, the United Nations and members of Congress, President Bush and his inner circle now must sift through some of those very suggestions in search of a way to kick-start the transfer of power in Iraq before the country spins out of control."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

A mother fights to learn details of her son's death
ANDREW KRAMER
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. - Believing her son's heroics have been mistaken for those of Pfc. Jessica Lynch, an Oregon mother has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to learn details of his death at the hands of Iraqi soldiers.

Arlene Walters said she believes her son, Sgt. Donald Walters, fought alone on a dusty street in Nasiriyah until he was overrun, shot and stabbed to death on March 23, in the same battle that injured Lynch.

Walters, 66, filed the request for documents or interview transcripts that contributed to a 15-page Army report on the ambush released in July.

"He stayed out there and gave up his life for his country," she said in a telephone interview from her home in Salem.

"I want him to have credit for it. I want them to say, 'yeah, that was Donald Walters out there,'" she said.

Her questions about Donald Walters' death have gone unanswered, she said, although she believes details of how he went down shooting were earlier leaked by the U.S. military and erroneously described as a heroic stand by Lynch. Lynch has since said she did not fire a shot.

The Army has not intentionally withheld details of Walters' death, said spokeswoman Jean Offutt at Fort Bliss, Texas, where the 507th Maintenance Company was based.

"The fact is, nobody really knows," how Walters died, she said. "You can't say something is true unless you have a reliable eyewitness."

Arlene Walters said the autopsy of her son led her to believe he had been mistaken for Lynch. Donald Walters died from gunshots and two stab wounds to the abdomen, his mother said. Lynch was initially said to have gone down shooting and to have suffered stab wounds.

Arlene Walters said Sgt. Major David Seibel at Fort Bliss acknowledged in private telephone conversations that the Lynch reports may have been based on information about her son.

He said, however, that because there were no American witnesses to his death, the military cannot be certain and cannot issue a formal report, according to Arlene Walters.

"All they kept saying was 'ma'am, we don't have an American witness to what went on," said Arlene Walters, a retired typist.

A telephone request to speak with Seibel was not immediately answered Wednesday.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Curry in Washington said he did not know specifically what Walters' family was told.

"It's Army policy to present as much detail as possible to next of kin, so they get the official word rather than hear it from the media," he said.

Donald Walters was a passenger in a supply truck that was the first in the convoy to be disabled, according to the Army report on the ambush that killed 11 American soldiers and left six as captives in the opening days of the war last spring.

Another truck, a water carrier, pulled alongside. Pvt. Brandon Sloan climbed into that truck, but Walters remained behind on the dirt road, the Army report said. He was alone and swarmed by Iraqi attackers, but apparently did not surrender.

"There is some information to suggest that a U.S. soldier that could have been Walters fought his way south on Highway 16 toward the canal and was killed in action," the Army report said.

In the Freedom of Information Act request, Arlene Walters asked for the source of that information, because Army officials have said no U.S. soldiers saw Walters after he was left on the street.

Walters said she filled out a form she downloaded from an American Civil Liberties Union Web site and mailed it to several military addresses. One copy was returned as improperly addressed, she said.

Offutt, the Fort Bliss spokeswoman, said the information may have come from an Iraqi source, such as a fighter who witnessed the battle and was later captured by U.S. forces.

She said no one has officially said that Donald Walters and Lynch maybe have been confused for one another.

Arlene Walters lives with her husband Norman in a one-story house with a flag pole in the front yard. She said she has a gold star in her window with her son's name on it.

She said she is angered that the military released information gleaned from Iraqi sources to the public - to provide alleged details of Jessica Lynch's ordeal - but will not release what she believes is the same information to a mother about her son's death.
AP Wire | 11/12/2003 | A mother fights to learn details of her son's death

The Real Hero Behind The
'Bravery' Of Private Jessica
By Julian Coman
The Telegraph - UK
7-27-3


WASHINGTON -- As she watched Private Jessica Lynch's emotional homecoming on television last week, Arlene Walters struggled to suppress her growing anger.

For millions of Americans, Pte Lynch's first faltering steps in her home town of Elizabeth, West Virginia, were a moment of high emotion, a happy ending to one of the darkest incidents of the Iraq war.

For Mrs Walters, however, the standing ovation and praise lavished on the young woman soldier, who was captured by Iraqi forces and later freed in a dramatic American raid, served only to highlight the contrasting treatment of her dead son, who fought in the same unit.

It was, fellow soldiers have told her, Sgt Donald Walters who performed many of the heroics attributed to Pte Lynch in the fanfare of publicity designed to lift the nation's morale, and Sgt Walters who was killed after mounting a lone stand against the Iraqis who ambushed their convoy of maintenance vehicles near Nasiriyah.

Yet few, if any, of the Americans watching Pte Lynch's homecoming last week have even heard her son's name. "The military tell us that everyone who was in her unit was a hero," Mrs Walters told The Telegraph. "In fact they have singled out Jessica Lynch as the hero, and they are not giving the recognition to my son that he deserves.

"The fighter that they thought was Jessica Lynch was Donald. When he was found he had two stab wounds in the abdomen, and he'd been shot once in the right leg and twice in the back. And he'd emptied his rounds of ammunition. Just like they said Jessica had done at first."

Sgt Walters, a 33-year-old military cook from Oregon, blond and slim but not a photogenic female warrior, had been serving with the ill-fated 507th Maintenance Unit, in which Jessica Lynch was a supply clerk.

In the days following the elaborately staged rescue of Pte Lynch from her hospital ward on April 1, a blizzard of American media reports told how the soldier had exhausted all her ammunition before capture, in an isolated and brave "fight to the death".

They suggested that it was only after a prolonged battle, in which she was shot and stabbed, that she was eventually taken prisoner. In all, 11 soldiers were killed and six captured. It subsequently emerged, however, that the young soldier's rifle had jammed and her injuries were caused by her lorry colliding with another vehicle as the convoy came under attack.

Last week, with no fanfare, the US Army released a detailed report into the incident which makes it clear that a lone American fighter did, indeed, hold out against the Iraqis - but that the soldier was not Pte Lynch. It says that following the ambush, Sgt Walters may have been left behind, hiding beside a disabled tractor-trailer, as Iraqi troops closed in. The report confirms that he died of wounds identical to those first attributed to Pte Lynch.

"There is some information to suggest that a US soldier, that could have been Walters, fought his way south of Highway 16 towards a canal and was killed in action. Sgt Walters was in fact killed at some point during this portion of the attack. The circumstances of his death cannot be conclusively determined."

Fellow soldiers who witnessed the ambush have been less guarded. "One told me that if I read reports about a brave female soldier fighting, those reports were actually about Don," said Mrs Walters.

"The information about what had happened had been taken by the military from intercepted Iraqi signals, and the gender had gotten mixed up. He was certain that the early reports had mixed up Jessica and Don."

Mrs Walters and her husband are now struggling to persuade the US military to acknowledge fully their son's bravery. Sgt Walters has been posthumously awarded the bronze medal, but his relatives argue that higher honours are deserved. The army says the investigation into the incident is now closed.

"I just can't imagine him being left out there in the desert alone," said Mrs Walters, who is still haunted by images of her son's lone stand.

"I'm not trying to take anything away from Jessica. We just want Don to get the credit he is entitled to for his bravery."

She has her own theories about the Army's reluctance to give him due credit. "Perhaps the army don't want to admit to the fact that he was left behind in the desert to fight alone," she said. "It isn't a good news story."

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/07/27/
wjess27.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/07/27/ixworld.html

The Real Hero Behind The 'Bravery' Of Private Jessica

Healing Iraq

Iraq War News
US Commander in Iraq Outlines Get-Tough Strategy for 'War' in IraqWar.ru (English)



Senate Follows House and Votes to Impose Sanctions Against Syria in IraqWar.ru (English)



US Aide in Iraq in Urgent Talks at White House in IraqWar.ru (English)



US Syria bill could lead to invasion in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraqi mayor backed by US is killed in dispute with guard in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraq: Two Red Cross Bombers Were Saudis in IraqWar.ru (English)



Rockets Hit US Compound in Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)



CIA: Iraq security to get worse in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraqis killed in Basra bombing in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush advisers question Bremer on Iraq: "Frustrated with the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council, President Bush's national security advisers questioned the top American administrator in Iraq on Tuesday about how to break a political logjam in Baghdad and speed planning for the nation's political future."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Saudi rejects word of car bomb arrests: "Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef on Tuesday denied reports of arrests in a car bombing that killed at least 17, while a purported al-Qaida claim of responsibility blamed Arab victims of the attack for working with the Americans."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Urgent Iraq talks in Washington: "US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer attends an emergency meeting at the White House, as attacks continue."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



General Vows to Intensify U.S. Response to Attackers: "The top U.S. military commander in Iraq outlined a new get-tough approach to combat operations in strongholds for loyalists of Saddam Hussein."

In New York Times: World Special



Blair Expresses Support for Bush and Cautions Demonstrators: "Prime Minister Tony Blair urged demonstrators mounting street protests against President Bush's visit next week to focus on the future."

In New York Times: World Special



General: Saddam fear impairs cooperation: "America's top soldier in Iraq said Tuesday a "blanket of fear" that Saddam Hussein will return prevents Iraqis from giving U.S. troops intelligence vital to curb the growing insurgency - stepped up attacks underlined by a late night barrage on the heart of Baghdad."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Monday, Nov. 10, 394 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. The department did not provide an update Tuesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Grief Over Iraq Deaths Marks Veterans Day: "President Bush gave a broad defense for the war in Iraq as he marked Veterans Day on Tuesday, while ceremonies nationwide reflected both grief over recent deaths and opposition to war. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



More Explosions in the Green Zone: "CNN:
U.S. military officials said at least two mortar shells or rockets hit Tuesday night within the Iraqi capital's "Green Zone," the center of most of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority's activities.
Lt. Col. George Krivo said there were two explosions in the vicinity of a parking lot near Saddam Hussein's former palace in Baghdad that now serves as the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority.
He said the origin of the explosions was not known.
"Crater analysis is going on at the moment. There are no reports of casualties. There are reports of damage to an unknown number of vehicles in the parking lot," Krivo said. "As far as I know, these are the only explosions that happened in the Green Zone tonight."
Shortly after the explosions, U.S.-led troops sealed off a school west of the Green Zone. Witnesses there told CNN the soldiers found rocket launchers at the school.
DJ News reports that there were no injuries in the explosion."

In Command Post: Irak

Iraq war updates
US has enough troops in Iraq: Rumsfeld: "US commanders say they have enough troops to carry out their mission in Iraq effectively, top military officials insisted. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US eyes Iraq wheat market dominated by Australia: "The US will aggressively pursue wheat export opportunities to Iraq, to which Australia has been a major exporter since the 1991 Gulf War, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said in Kabul. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Military Chief Vows to 'Get Tough' in Iraq: "The top U.S. military commander in Iraqsignaled on Tuesday his forces would take tougher actionagainst insurgents, warning he would not hesitate to use anyweapon at his disposal to defeat them. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S.: Enemy attacks escalate in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq



US admits it shot Iraqi mayor: "The US military confirms that one of its soldiers shot dead the mayor of one of Baghdad's most volatile districts."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



US-led coalition is holding 20 suspected Qaeda members: "The US military has detained 20 men thought to have ties with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror group, the top US ground commander in Iraq told reporters. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Al-Qaeda suspects quizzed in Iraq: "The US military in Iraq is questioning about 20 people suspected of links with Osama Bin Laden's network."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Bomb Blast in Baghdad Wounds 6: "A bomb blast outside a court in theIraqi capital Baghdad wounded six people Tuesday, police said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



IAEA says Iran produced plutonium: "A U.N. nuclear agency report said Iran produced small amounts of plutonium as part of covert nuclear activities. While finding "no evidence" that Tehran tried to make atomic arms, it said such efforts cannot be ruled out."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Four Iraqis killed in Basra bomb: "A bomb blast in the southern Iraqi city of Basra kills four civilians, police say."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



PM thanks Polish Iraq peacekeepers in CNN - War in Iraq



US soldier killed in Iraq as Rumsfeld seeks international troops: "US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has called for "a lot of troops" from other countries to help stabilize Iraq, after the deaths of a US soldier and a Kurdish fighter working with Iraq's border guard. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq War News
Bush to Promote Iraq Strategy to Veterans: "Mired in a complicated, unfinished mission in Iraq, President Bush is pausing this Veterans Day to reflect on sacrifices being made by U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and honor soldiers of wars past. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Re-elected Koizumi faces first test over Iraq dispatch: analysts: "Newly re-elected Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi faces a tough battle with a strengthened opposition and a pacifist coalition ally in his first test over dispatching troops to Iraq, analysts said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Vets question Iraq policy: "In a signed letter to the President, 750 U.S. war veterans declared their belief today that U.S. Iraq policy is headed in the wrong direction. "At present, U.S. soldiers are falling under attack an average of 35 times each day. To date, 394 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the war. Their lives are being lost for a policy that is unclear and an exit strategy that remains unknown." Continue »"

In Alternet: War On Iraq



Frightening winds swirl around the House of Saud in IraqWar.ru (English)



Yard fury over Bush visit in IraqWar.ru (English)



Troops Awaiting Deployment Hear of Mounting Casualties in IraqWar.ru (English)



New textbooks rewrite history in Iraq through omission in IraqWar.ru (English)



U.S.appointed Iraqi Council member killed in IraqWar.ru (English)



Defining the resistance in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Backyard terrorism in IraqWar.ru (English)



N. Korea fully nuclear, CIA says in IraqWar.ru (English)



America stirs hornet's nest of revenge in IraqWar.ru (English)



Ex Iraqi Oil Minister: Corruption Is Rife In Oil Industry in IraqWar.ru (English)



Critics condemn U.S. torture by proxy in IraqWar.ru (English)



Contracts Go to Allies of Iraq's Chalabi in IraqWar.ru (English)



Pillage Is Forbidden in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bring Halliburton Home in IraqWar.ru (English)



Making Iraq permanently dependent on the US for its defence in IraqWar.ru (English)



Spotlight on war in the shadows in IraqWar.ru (English)



Woolsey Pushes Constitutional Monarchy for Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



War declared on resistance in IraqWar.ru (English)



Embedded reporters 'sanitised' Iraq war in IraqWar.ru (English)



Goodwill is fragile in new Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Baghdad George in IraqWar.ru (English)



Spain backs Iraq council said to be drawing US ire in IraqWar.ru (English)



U.S. frees Taliban leader to join Karzai in IraqWar.ru (English)



AP: U.N. Finds No Evidence of Iran Nukes in IraqWar.ru (English)



Silly word games and weapons of mass destruction in IraqWar.ru (English)



A New Kind of Dancing in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



General Warns Iraqis Attacks Must Stop in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraq Progress Slowed by Constitution Delay in IraqWar.ru (English)



U.S. Hard-liners Tamed by Iraq But Retain Clout in IraqWar.ru (English)



Senator Hollings On the War In Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraq war support wanes as U.S. death toll climbs in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iranian journalists freed in Iraq accuse US captors of torture in IraqWar.ru (English)



Book Review: Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied in IraqWar.ru (English)



We Buy Rocket Launchers At Arms Bazaar in IraqWar.ru (English)



We?re Not Getting a Bang for Our Buck in IraqWar.ru (English)



U.S. officer killed south of Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraq War News
AWOL Mom: I Can't Go Back To Iraq: "Army medic Simone Holcomb knows she's supposed to return to duty in Iraq, as her husband, Sgt. Vaughn Holcomb, already has. But the mom in this military couple is refusing - citing the welfare of the seven children who'd be left behind."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Jessica Lynch's Hero: "Pfc. Patrick Miller risked his life to save Private Jessica Lynch and several others near her during fighting in Iraq. But his Silver Star-winning efforts have gone mostly unsung. Mike Wallace reports."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Mosques on Front Line of Battle With U.S.: "It was Friday prayers at Haibat Khatoun mosque, and the imam faced worshippers to deliver a fiery sermon accusing American troops of insulting the Muslim holy book and trampling the honor of women. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



New Cabinet casts doubt on mideast peace: "Mideast peace moves were thrown into disarray by the makeup of a new Cabinet announced by Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, as Yasser Arafat maintained indirect control of Palestinian security forces despite Israeli and U.S. demands that he step aside."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Hezbollah prisoner swap may still unravel: "Israel's Cabinet narrowly approved a prisoner swap with Hezbollah after eight hours of anguished debate, but the deal could still come apart in disagreement over releasing a Lebanese-Palestinian man responsible for the deaths of an Israeli and his two children in 1979."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

U.S. Opposes Money for Troops Jailed in Iraq: "The Bush administration is seeking to block a group of U.S. troops who were tortured in 1991 from collecting any of the frozen Iraqi assets that they won in a court ruling."

In New York Times: World Special



U.S. Arrests Suspects in Rashid Hotel Attack: "American forces have detained 18 people in connection with a rocket attack two weeks ago on the hotel where Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz was staying."

In New York Times: World Special



U.S. Aides Acknowledge String of Missteps With Turkey: "Even inside the Bush administration, few foreign policy aides say relations with Turkey have been a great success."

In New York Times: World Special



A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Nov. 7, 388 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. The department did not provide an update Saturday or Sunday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Port Huron soldier killed in Iraq
Army staff sergeant dies when vehicle hit by explosive
By ANGELA MULLINS
Times Herald

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Associated Press/APN
SOLDIER DIES: A U.S. military vehicle burns after an explosion Saturday in Fallujah, Iraq, in this image from television. Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez of Port Huron Township was one of two U.S. soldiers who died in the attack.




Staff Sgt. Mark Vasquez




ONLINE
MILITARY WEB SITES


DEFENSE DEPARTMENT/CASUALTIES: www.defenselink.com

FORT RILEY/16TH INFANTRY: www.riley.army.mil/Units/1BCT1ID /1-16IN.asp

FORT BENNING/RANGER SCHOOL: www.infantry.army.mil/rtb

BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLE: www.fas.org/man/ dod-101/sys/land/ m2.htm
A CLOSER LOOK

BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLE

Port Huron Township native Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez was killed Saturday when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was destroyed by a homemade explosive device. Here is a look at the Bradley's characteristics:


PURPOSE: The Bradley is an armored, fully tracked vehicle designed to carry infantry into battle. It's not considered a tank because it's smaller, faster and doesn't have a large-caliber main gun. Went into service in 1981.

WEAPONS: Main armament is the M242 25mm "Bushmaster" chain gun. Also has a 7.62mm coaxially mounted machine gun and a TOW missile launcher.

CREW: Commander, gunner and driver. The infantry version of the Bradley, the M2, can transport six or seven soldiers.

SPEED: 45 mph.

WEIGHT: 50,000 lbs.

COST: $3.1 million each. The military has about 1,600 Bradleys.

NAME: Named for World War II Gen. Omar N. Bradley.

MADE BY: United Defense of Arlington, Va.



It was two years ago that Lydia Chappelle of Fort Gratiot last saw her younger cousin.

An active young man with a daughter and pregnant wife at home, Mark D. Vasquez of Port Huron Township was turning the Army into a career when Chappelle began teaching the practical joker to play golf.

On Sunday, Chappelle wiped away tears as she leafed through pictures of Vasquez and his two young children and remembered the time they spent together laughing on the golf course.

Vasquez, an Army staff sergeant who had recently qualified as a Ranger, was killed Saturday when an "improvised explosive device" hit his Bradley Fighting Vehicle while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, about 40 miles west of Baghdad, according to the Department of Defense. He's the first local soldier killed in the war.

Vasquez, 35, was deployed to Iraq less than two months ago. He'd been assigned as a squad leader to Co. A, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regt., 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., since October 2002.

Vasquez and his wife, Nicole, have a daughter, Breanna, 6, and a son, Cameron, 2.

"We thought he was trained well enough to be OK," said Chappelle, 46, early Sunday evening.

"They weren't even in battle; this was a peace-keeping mission."

A second soldier is believed to have been killed in the attack with Vasquez, but the Department of Defense did not release any details Sunday.

As of Sunday, the Pentagon and families have identified 389 U.S. service members who have died supporting U.S.-led operations in Iraq. The total includes accidental and non-combat related deaths. Other U.S. deaths have been reported but have not yet been identified.

Vasquez, a Red Wings fan, missed his unit's first deployment to Iraq while training at the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga.

A practical joker, and at times mischievous, family members said Vasquez rarely was without a smile.

"I knew he wanted to go (to Iraq) ... he felt he had missed out before," Chappelle said. "We expected him to come back."

Searching for a path in life, Vasquez joined the Army in 1993. He had dropped out of Port Huron High School at age 17.

Before joining the Army, family members said, Vasquez had little direction. The military gave Vasquez the two things he needed most -- direction and discipline.

Mike Vasquez of Port Huron, a former paratrooper, said he urged his cousin Mark to enlist in 1993.

"I told him 'I think the Army would help you grow,'" he said.

Mike Vasquez, 42, last spoke to his cousin shortly after his Ranger training ended this year.

"He said he had a job he had to do, and he was going to do it. I think that's probably what he would say (right now) -- he was doing his job."

The only other local casualty reported so far in Iraq was Marine Staff Sgt. Jessie Fuentes, a Croswell native who was wounded prior to the war's start. Fuentes' mother, Alice, said in July her son was recovering in California from injuries suffered behind Iraqi lines.

The last Michigan soldier to be identified as killed in Iraq was Army Spc. Artimus D. Brassfield, 22, of Flint. He was killed Oct. 24 in a mortar attack on an outpost near Baghdad.


Port Huron soldier killed in Iraq - thetimesherald.com

Iraq war news
U.S. disappointed in Palestinian Cabinet: "The United States expressed disappointment Sunday with the announcement of a new Palestinian Cabinet that leaves Yasser Arafat in control of security forces."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



US 'wants Iraq council scrapped': "The US has become so frustrated with the Iraqi Governing Council that it may be looking to dismantle it, says a newspaper report."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Kosher infant formula recalled after 3 die: "An Israeli company partly owned by American food giant H.J. Heinz Co. has recalled a kosher infant formula after three babies died and 10 others were hospitalized with nervous system disorders that the Health Ministry said were linked to the product."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



US 'wants Iraq council scrapped': "The US has become so frustrated with the Iraqi Governing Council that it may be looking to dismantle it, says a newspaper report."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Sharon cleared in corruption case: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon violated "accepted norms of behavior" in a land compensation deal, but his actions didn't constitute corruption, the Israeli Justice Ministry said Sunday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



18 Arrested in Oct. Attack on Iraq Hotel: "Soldiers arrested 18 people in a deadly missile barrage last month that Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz narrowly escaped, officials said Sunday. U.S. warplanes bombed near a center of Iraqi resistance, and the military said it was intensifying the fight against insurgents after increasingly bloody attacks. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Warplanes Renew Bombing of Iraq Targets: "U.S. warplanes bombed targets in Iraqon Sunday in air strikes that resumed last week for the firsttime in more than six months after the shooting down of threeU.S. helicopters. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Democratic Lawmaker Calls for Summit on Iraq: "A top U.S. Senate Democrat urgedPresident Bush on Sunday to call a summit on Iraq seekinginternational troops and assistance in exchange for a greatersay in operations. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. lecturer is freed on bail in Iran: "Iranian authorities freed on Sunday an American university lecturer jailed since July on suspicion of espionage, a prosecutor's office spokesman said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Talk of a draft grows despite denials by White House (08 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



View from Canada: We used to feel protected by the law (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



In Iraq, it's security Rambo-style (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Americans sow seeds of hatred (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



What World War I's greatest poet would say about hiding our war dead (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



US soldier killed in Baghdad, British attacked in Basra: "A US soldier was killed in a bomb blast in Baghdad and British troops came under attack in the southern port of Basra as a deadly surge in violence showed no sign of letting up. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. general was aboard downed helicopter: "An American major general was aboard a military helicopter that flew with the Black Hawk that crashed here last week, a U.S. officer said Sunday. The Black Hawk was apparently shot down by insurgents here in Saddam Hussein's hometown."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Iraq war news
Taliban demand hostage swap in IraqWar.ru (English)



British embassy warns of possible terror attacks in Bahrain in IraqWar.ru (English)



US warns of attacks with hijacked cargo jets in IraqWar.ru (English)



Lynch struggled with Iraqi doctors who wanted to amputate her leg in IraqWar.ru (English)



US Retaliates For Latest Deaths in IraqWar.ru (English)



State Dept. Worker Found Dead Outside Agency in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraq war news
Taliban demand hostage swap in IraqWar.ru (English)



British embassy warns of possible terror attacks in Bahrain in IraqWar.ru (English)



US warns of attacks with hijacked cargo jets in IraqWar.ru (English)



Lynch struggled with Iraqi doctors who wanted to amputate her leg in IraqWar.ru (English)



US Retaliates For Latest Deaths in IraqWar.ru (English)



State Dept. Worker Found Dead Outside Agency in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraq war updats
Armitage: U.S. walks 'fine line' in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq



Bomb blast kills two US soldiers in Iraq as insurgents flex muscle: "Two US soldiers died when a bomb ripped their military vehicle, apparently a heavily armored Bradley personnel carrier, as insurgents escalated their attacks on the Americans. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US Troops Grab Iraq Hotel Attack Suspects in Raids: "U.S. troops in overnight raids captured12 people in Iraq suspected of involvement in a deadly attackon a Baghdad hotel where U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary PaulWolfowitz was staying, a top commander said on Saturday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Syria says Bush sincere at Mideast effort: "Syria does not doubt that President Bush is sincere in his urging a more stable Middle East but believes his policies are spoiling American relations with Arabs and Muslims worldwide, a Syrian Cabinet minister said Saturday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Iraq Today: Retribution, More Dead GIs, Red Cross Pull Out, No Troops from Turkey (8 Nov 03)
In Radio Free USA

Surge in attacks on helicopters escalates death toll in Iraq
By Robert Burns, Associated Press, 11/8/2003 12:38

WASHINGTON (AP) Whether by chance or design, the string of attacks on U.S. helicopters in Iraq has added a new and worrisome dimension to the anti-occupation guerrilla war and escalated the American death toll.

In the first six months after Baghdad fell in early April, attacks on U.S. troops were mainly in the form of roadside ambushes of vehicle convoys using small arms or homemade bombs. There were occasional, unsuccessful attempts to hit aircraft with missiles or rockets. But only in the past two weeks have the strikes found their targets: one Chinook and two Black Hawk choppers.

The worst was an attack Nov. 2 on a CH-47D Chinook helicopter near Fallujah, at the heart of the insurgency. The strike killed 16 American soldiers and wounded 25. It is believed an SA-7 shoulder-fired missile slammed into one of the chopper's rear-mounted engines.

That was the deadliest attack of the entire war including the heavy combat phase in late March and early April. A senior Army official familiar with the investigation of the attack called it a lucky shot, but it raises questions about the vulnerability of U.S. aircraft.

On Friday a UH-60 Black Hawk was downed near Tikrit, apparently by a rocket-propelled grenade. All six aboard four crew members and two passengers from Department of the Army headquarters in Washington were killed. Officials said they had not sorted out details of what happened.

On Oct. 25 a rocket-propelled grenade forced down a Black Hawk north of Baghdad, wounding one soldier.

Before that, there had been only one helicopter hit, shortly after President Bush flew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1 to declare that major combat operations had ended.

The U.S. Army has more than 600 helicopters in Iraq, almost half of which are Black Hawks.

It may be too early to conclude that the insurgency has entered a new and more deadly phase, more heavily targeting helicopters, said Michael O'Hanlon, a defense expert at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington.

But he said there is little reason to think the recent attacks are mere coincidence, either.

Attacks on airplanes and helicopters with shoulder-fired missiles and rocket-propelled grenades are a well-established guerrilla tactic. ''It's the standard playbook and it's being fully exploited now,'' he said.

U.S. commanders have been concerned all along about threats to aircraft, Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said Friday. But he said there is no reason to believe the insurgents have figured out more effective ways to target helicopters.

''We've known for a long time that there is an aviation threat out there,'' he said, adding that American aircraft have been fired upon 20 or more times over the past few months.

There is no practical way the U.S. military could stop using helicopters in Iraq. They are used daily throughout Iraq to ferry troops and supplies, in addition to their occasional combat roles.

But there is little doubt the attacks on helicopters have markedly escalated the U.S. death toll.

Since Bush's declaration on May 1, 252 American have died in Iraq, 149 of them from hostile fire.

Until recently the casualty trend had been downward, with the monthly tally of dead falling from 46 in July to 35 in August and 31 in September, according to an unofficial count.

Last month, there were 42 deaths, of which all but nine were hostile. In just the first eight days of November the death count was 34, and all but one was hostile.

Thus, nearly half of all hostile deaths among American forces in Iraq since May 1 66 of the 149 took place in the past five weeks.

O'Hanlon, who traveled around Iraq by helicopter during a September visit, said he sensed then that the pilots and crews had become complacent.

''There was a certain set of expectations about the vulnerability of helicopters that was colored by the fact that none had been shot down at that point,'' he said.

All helicopters flying in Iraq are required to be equipped with self-protection equipment. That includes one of many variants of an electronic jammer/sensor linked to a system that dispenses metallic chaff to confuse enemy radar as well as flares to decoy a heat-seeking missile.

These systems are considered reliable but not foolproof.
Boston.com / Latest News / Washington / Surge in attacks on helicopters escalates death toll in Iraq

Iraq war news
Attacks continue as U.S. raids Tikrit: "Insurgents kept up attacks on U.S. troops and their allies across Iraq on Saturday despite a show of force in Saddam Hussein's hometown following the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter that apparently was shot down."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Arafat, prime minister meet over Cabinet: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met Saturday with Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia in an effort to finalize a new Palestinian Cabinet, which has been in limbo for weeks amid a dispute between the two leaders."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Attacks on Iraqi oil facilities on rise, MEES says, blaming new Baath: "Attacks on Iraq's oil pipelines and installations are on the increase, the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) reports in its Monday edition, blaming a reorganised Baath party. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Warplanes Bomb Targets in Saddam's Hometown: "U.S. warplanes and armoredvehicles battered suspected guerrilla hideouts in SaddamHussein's hometown Saturday after six soldiers were killed whena Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US military probes Blackhawk crash near Saddam Hussein's hometown: "The US military was probing the crash of a Blackhawk helicopter, which killed six soldiers, as insurgents demonstrated their growing strength seven months after American troops entered Baghdad. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. hits area of helicopter crash in CNN - War in Iraq



S.Korea Combat Iraq Troops Seen as Still Possible: "The Bush administration hasreaffirmed its interest in having South Korea send combattroops to Iraq and believes Seoul is still actively consideringthe deployment, a senior U.S. official said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Slowdown: "      My updates will likely be less frequent than usual for the next few weeks or so; I am doing lots of stuff for school, applying to colleges, etc.  Lucky for you, lots of new blogs keep cropping up, and some of them are really good.  Two new additions to the blogroll recently: Dohiyi Mir and Mercury23x, both worth bookmarking.  And..."

In Catalyzer Newsroom



Copter Crashes Reflect a Growing Threat: "The crash of a copter, coupled with two other attacks in the last two weeks, reflects a growing threat against American aircraft."

In New York Times: World Special



With a U.S. Nod, Turkey Says It Won't Send Force to Iraq: "The decision ended an effort by the Bush administration to solicit large numbers of foreign troops."

In New York Times: World Special



Mideast View: Bush Spoke More to U.S. Than to Us: "Commentators across the Middle East dismissed the speech by President Bush calling for wider democracy in the region."

In New York Times: World Special



U.S. Discussing New International Peacekeeping Force: "The U.S. government has beguninternal discussions about the possible creation of a U.S.-ledinternational force capable of taking on peacekeeping duties inworld hot-spots such as Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior Armyofficer said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



"Old Guard" ceremonial unit being deployed to Iraq. in IraqWar.info



Doctors Dismiss Lynch Bio's Rape Claims: "Iraqi doctors who treated former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch dismissed on Friday claims made in her biography that she was raped by her Iraqi captors. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Retaliates For Latest Deaths: "Six soldiers died when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed, apparently shot down. Hours later, American troops swept through Iraqi neighborhoods, blasting suspected insurgent hideouts. This week's death toll was 32."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Two-star general ahead of Black Hawk crash in CNN - War in Iraq



In Mideast, Reaction to Bush Speech Is Dismissive: "Commentators across the Middle East today labeled the speech something for domestic consumption to justify the war in Iraq rather than signaling a real change in United States policy."

In New York Times: World Special

Iraq War Updates
Poland's Iraq Doubts Grow After Soldier's Death: "Poland's leaders faced tough questionson the troop deployment in occupied Iraq on Friday from anation preparing to bid a hero's farewell to the first Polishsoldier killed there. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Israelis try to block prisoner swap: "The daughter of missing Israeli air force navigator Ron Arad accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of abandoning her father as the family made a last-ditch effort to block a prisoner swap with Lebanese guerrillas that does not address Arad's fate."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Turkey 'will not send Iraq troops' in CNN - War in Iraq



Jordan's Noor says women key to peace: "Queen Noor of Jordan believes women are key to peace-building efforts in the Middle East."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



This is what they did to me (06 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



When Did "Arab" Become a Dirty Word? Smearing Said and Hanan Ashrawi (4 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Saddam 'offered Bush a huge oil deal to avert war' (06 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Jessica Lynch Criticizes U.S. Accounts of Her Ordeal: "From the NY Times :

n her first public statements since her rescue in Iraq, Jessica Lynch criticized the military for exaggerating accounts of her rescue and re-casting her ordeal as a patriotic fable.
Asked by the ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer if the military's portrayal of the rescue bothered her, Ms. Lynch said: "Yeah, it does. It does that they used me as a way to symbolize all this stuff. Yeah, it's wrong," according to a partial transcript of the interview to be broadcast on Tuesday.

After months of retreating from the news media, Ms. Lynch will be a ubiquitous presence next week. In addition to her appearance on ABC, she will be on the cover of Time magazine, and NBC will broadcast a movie based on an Iraqi's account of her ordeal. On Tuesday, the book publisher Knopf will release an account of her experience, "I Am a Soldier, Too," written with her cooperation by a former reporter for The New York Times, Rick Bragg.
The book and the movie are unrelated and tell different versions of Ms. Lynch's story, but the publisher has timed the book to capitalize on publicity from the television movie.

Media and entertainment: In what other industries can the public be so easily treated to unrelated and different versions of a particular story, with no apparent self consciousness or shame? Oh yeah, I forgot: Finance and accounting. Oh ? and law. Well ? never mind."

In Command Post: Irak



Bomb Attack on U.S. Convoy in Iraq Kills Soldier: "A U.S. soldier was killed and twowounded Thursday morning in a bomb attack on their convoy on ahighway east of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the U.S.military said Friday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq Updates
Secret Israel missile-test video breached: "In a rare breach of military security, portions of a secret Israeli missile test could be seen on television across the Arab world after the company conducting the exercise apparently failed to encrypt its video transmission."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 379 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. The department did not provide an update Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Death Toll in Iraq Helicopter Attack Rises to 16: "The U.S. military said the deathtoll of Sunday's downing of an American military Chinookhelicopter in Iraq had risen to 16 after a soldier seriouslywounded in the attack died on Thursday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Army: Helicopter Had Defensive System: "The Army helicopter shot down over Iraq last weekend apparently had a last-second warning of an approaching missile and managed to launch flares designed to draw the heat-seeking missile away, a senior Army official said Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush Asks Lands in Mideast to Try Democratic Ways: "President Bush challenged Iran, Syria and Middle East allies of the U.S. to begin embracing democratic traditions."

In New York Times: World Special



Pentagon Says a Covert Force Hunts Hussein: "A U.S. commander has created a commando force to hunt Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and key terrorists in the Middle East."

In New York Times: World Special



At a Base in Iraq, American Troops Honor Victims of Copter Attack: "The memorial for troops who died after their helicopter was struck came on a day when three allied soldiers died in new attacks."

In New York Times: World Special



Bush Aides Play Down Effort to Avert War at Last Minute: "Officials played down the significance of Iraq's negotiations with Washington in the weeks before the war began in March."

In New York Times: World Special



Jessica Lynch Criticizes U.S. Accounts of Her Ordeal: "In her first public statements since her rescue in Iraq, Jessica Lynch criticized the military for exaggerating accounts of her rescue and re-casting her ordeal as a patriotic fable."

In New York Times: World Special



US says it will cut troop strength in Iraq as two more US soldiers die: "The United States has unveiled plans to cut its troop strength in Iraq next year to about 105,000, as two more US soldiers were reported dead and Polish forces suffered their first fatality. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq proves no vote-winner in Koizumi's election battle: "Faced with public opposition to his plan to send troops to volatile Iraq, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is playing down his controversial foreign policy before Sunday's Japanese general election. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Troops Gather to Honor Comrades in Iraq: "Fifteen rifles stood in a row with their barrels down, each topped by a U.S. military helmet and framed by an empty pair of combat boots. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Army Dismisses Soldier Cowardice Charge: "The Army dismissed a cowardice charge and filed a lesser count against an Army interrogator who sought counseling after he saw the body of an Iraqi man cut in half by American fire. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq Tried Last-Minute Deal to Avoid War: "Negotiators for Saddam Hussein tried to strike a last-minute deal with the Bush administration to avoid an invasion after realizing "the threat was real," a Lebanese-American businessman who tried to serve as a go-between said Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US soldiers mourn their brothers-in-arms lost on Iraqi battlefield: "US troops mourned the 153rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment soldiers who died when their Chinook transport helicopter was downed outside Iraq's flashpoint town of Fallujah last weekend. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq War News
Students should fear return of the draft in IraqWar.ru (English)



Conscription fears raised in US in IraqWar.ru (English)



Revisionist Thoughts on the War on Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



British Envoy Sees Rough Time Ahead For US-led Forces in IraqWar.ru (English)



British troops may still be in Iraq in 2005 in IraqWar.ru (English)



5 GIs Hurt In 'Friendly' Iraq City in IraqWar.ru (English)



Iraq heading for destruction or reconstruction? in IraqWar.ru (English)



Attacks in Baghdad, Western Iraq kill two US troops in IraqWar.ru (English)



Mosul attacks intensify in IraqWar.ru (English)



Clark: Iraq war used to settle score in IraqWar.ru (English)



Afghan allies turn enemies in IraqWar.ru (English)



US warfare equation 'full of baloney' in IraqWar.ru (English)



U.S. faces troop pressure as Turkey balks in IraqWar.ru (English)



Terror experts in their element in IraqWar.ru (English)



No chemical agents found in Iraq shells in IraqWar.ru (English)



Trailblazing Aljazeera loses its edge in IraqWar.ru (English)



Limited foreign hand in Iraq resistance in IraqWar.ru (English)



Lawyers at E.P.A. say it will drop pollution cases (6 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



U.S. detains relatives of suspects in Iraq attacks - military denies claims that it takes hostages (6 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Ramadan drummer braves Baghdad insecurity to wake up the faithful: "Every night, a lone drummer braves the cut-throat streets of Baghdad to wake up the faithful before sunrise marks the start of the daytime fasting Muslims observe during the month of Ramadan. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war updates
U.S. Alerting More Troops for Iraq Rotation Duty: "The Pentagon will immediately beginordering thousands of additional active-duty and reserveAmerican troops, including Marines, to prepare to serve in Iraqearly next year, defense officials said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



L.A. Times Bans 'Resistance Fighters' in Iraq News: "The Los Angeles Times has orderedits reporters to stop describing anti-American forces in Iraqas "resistance fighters," saying the term romanticizes them andevokes World War II-era heroism. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Why America's plutocrats gobble up $1,500 hot dogs (5 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Pentagon will call up thousands more troops to go to Iraq (5 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Bush in Iraq: A B-School Case Study: " (BusinessWeek Online)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war news
Syria Blames U.S. 'Terrorism' in Iraq: "The Syrian foreign ministry called on the United States to pull its troops out of Iraq, saying their presence has led to chaos and terrorism, according to remarks published Wednesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Annan welcomes Mideast peace plan draft: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday welcomed an informal Mideast peace plan drafted by prominent Israelis and Palestinians, calling it a "courageous" attempt to break the stalemate on both sides."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. ponders forming Iraq security force: "The U.S. administrator of Iraq agrees in principle with the idea of creating an Iraqi security force, but doesn't know if Iraqi advocates of the plan will agree to his terms, a coalition spokesman said Wednesday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Army eyes replacing Halliburton in Iraq: "The Army said Wednesday it is negotiating to replace Vice President Dick Cheney's former company as an importer of oil products into Iraq, but denied that the talks were related to Democratic allegations of price gouging by Halliburton."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Rumsfeld signs rotation orders, Marines to go back to Iraq: defense officials: "US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld signed orders to set in motion a force rotation in Iraq next year that will send back US Marines along with active duty army and national guard and reserve units, a senior defense official said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Plans for Marines to Return to Iraq: "The Marine Corps, which played a central role in toppling Saddam Hussein last spring, will return to Iraq as part of a U.S. troop rotation approved by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday, officials said. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. to Call Up Thousands of Troops for Iraq Duty: "U.S. defense officials said onWednesday the Pentagon would begin ordering thousands of freshtroops to prepare for service in Iraq, on a day guerrillaslaunched a series of attacks on U.S. troops on northern Iraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Senator Says Downed Chopper Lacked Protective Gear: "Many U.S. helicopters in Iraq lackroutine anti-missile equipment that might have thwarted lastweekend's attack on a Chinook helicopter that killed 15 U.S.troops, a Democratic senator said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Russian Version Iraq News
Shells in heart of Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)



Hoon denies Iraq budget cuts in IraqWar.ru (English)



To US forces, Saddam's hometown is Dodge City in IraqWar.ru (English)



Coalition soldiers killed in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Mortar fire rocks operations core for US in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



2nd Night Of Blasts In Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)



Bush needs to declare aims in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)



Insurgents Strike US Compound in Mosul in IraqWar.ru (English)



Senator questions whether downed helicopter was properly equipped in IraqWar.ru (English)



Australian Cabinet set to approve $50bn for military in IraqWar.ru (English)



FBI has new 9/11 hijacking suspect in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraq war news
U.S. Revises Iraq Copter Death Toll to 15: "Fifteen U.S. soldiers were killed in Sunday's Chinook helicopter shoot-down in Iraq, not 16 as widely reported, the Pentagon said Tuesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Faces Troop Pressure As Turkey Balks: "In a major setback to U.S. efforts to attract military help in Iraq, a Turkish official said Tuesday his country won't send peacekeeping troops without a significant change in the situation there. That makes it virtually certain the United States will have to send thousands more U.S. reservists early next year. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush: Saddam 'Trying to Stir Up Trouble': "Facing rising casualties in Iraq, President Bush said Tuesday that Saddam Hussein is "trying to stir up trouble" for the American-led occupation but vowed that the United States will track him down. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



UN Iraq envoy, security chief put on leave: "The UN's top envoy in Iraq and its global security chief have been relieved of their duties pending a review of security lapses before the August bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, a spokesman said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Three Killed In Baghdad Attack: "Nov. 4 -Guerrillas fired mortars into the Baghdad neighborhood that houses the U.S.-led occupation headquarters, wounding three people Tuesday."

In War In Iraq from www.FeedRoom.com



Baghdad blasts wound three coalition members: "Three members of the US-led coalition in Iraq, probably Americans, were wounded in three explosions in Baghdad, US Defence Department officials said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Egyptian Students Protest Iraq War: "More than 3,000 university students on Tuesday held Egypt's largest protest since the end of major fighting in Iraq, denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US vows to improve Iraq security: "The US deputy defence secretary says continuing violence threatens American-led efforts to rebuild Iraq."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Where The Wounded Go: "Since the war started, a busy military hospital in Germany has treated more than 7,700 U.S. troops wounded in Iraq. And, as CBS News' Mark Phillips reports, the casualty rates haven't fallen off ? they just keep coming."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Marines Win Top Unit Award for Iraq Fight: "The Navy has awarded its highest unit honor to the Marines who invaded Iraq, pushed north to Baghdad and helped Army troops liberate the capital. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Death rate of Iraq mothers triples, UN survey finds: "The number of women in Iraq who die of pregnancy and childbirth has almost tripled since 1989 according to a new survey, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraqi judge probing former regime officials killed in Mosul: "A judge investigating members of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime was shot dead in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, in the second such killing in as many days, police said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Another anti-Saddam judge shot dead in Iraq: "An Iraqi judge tasked with investigating officials of the ousted regime of president Saddam Hussein was shot dead in the northern city of Mosul, in the second such killing in 24 hours, Iraqi police said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

ALL FOUR FORT CARSON SOLDIERS KILLED IN DOWINING OF HELICOPTER IN IRAQ ARE IDENTIFIED
A List Of Some Of The Soldiers Killed Has Been Released
by NEWS 13 (From Associated Press)

11/4/2003


A soldier who lived in Nebraska for part of his childhood was among those killed in a missile attack on a helicopter in Iraq.

Army Staff Sergeant Daniel Bader was among the 16 soldierskilled in Sunday's attack. He was assigned to the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado.

His wife, Tiffany Bader, says her husband was born in York, Nebraska, and lived there for part of his childhood.

She says he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his family when he was in elementary school, and graduated from high school there.

Tiffany Bader says her husband had a sense of humor like comedian Jim Carey and was never upset.

Here's a list of the of the 16 U.S. soldiers
who have been identified so far, who were killed Sunday in an attack on a C-H-47 Chinook helicopter near Fallujah, Iraq.

The information comes from the Pentagon and families of the victims:

Staff Sgt. Daniel Bader, 28, of York, Neb. Assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tiger Squadron, Fort Carson, Colo.

Sgt. Ernest G. Bucklew, 33, of Enon Valley, Pa. Assigned to Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Spc. Darius T. Jennings, 22, of Cordova, S.C. Assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Spc. Brian Peniston, 28, Fort Wayne, Ind. Assigned to Third Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Sgt. Steven D. Conover, 21, of Wilmington, Ohio. His mother, Lorraine Earley, said he was a specialist in field artillery based at Fort Sill, Okla.

Pfc. Anthony D. D'Agostino, 20, of Waterbury, Conn. Assigned to the 16th Signal Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Pfc. Karina S. Lau, 20, of Livingston, Calif. Assigned to the 16th Signal Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Keelan L. Moss, 23, of Houston. Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.

Sgt. Ross A. Pennanen, 36, of Shawnee, Okla. Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.

First Lt. Brian D. Slavenas, 30, of Genoa, Ill. Assigned to F Company, 106th Aviation Battalion, Army National Guard, Peoria, Ill.

Staff Sgt. Paul A. Velazquez, 29, of San Diego. Assigned to III Corps Artillery at Fort Sill, Okla.

Spc. Frances M. Vega, 20, of Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Assigned to the 151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3, Fort Hood, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Joe N. Wilson, 30, of Crystal Springs, Miss.
Assigned to Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, Okla.
KRDO News 13 - News & Top Stories - Colorado Springs, Pueblo

Iraq war news
Congress passes Iraq budget: "The US Senate approves $87.5bn for Afghanistan and Iraq, as the president pledges America "will never run"."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Iraqis Seek Justice, or Vengeance, for Victims of the Killing Fields: "Nothing seems to preoccupy Iraqis quite as much as the urge to settle accounts with the old government."

In New York Times: World Special



Severe Copter Injuries Treated in Germany: "Sixteen American soldiers hurt in a deadly attack on their helicopter in Iraq on Sunday are being treated at a military hospital for broken bones, spinal fractures, burns and other injuries."

In New York Times: World Special



'America Will Never Run,' Bush Says of Iraq: "President Bush on Monday vowed again that the United States would stay in Iraq as long as it took to achieve stability."

In New York Times: World Special



Among the Newly Dead, a Soldier Who Was Grieving for His Mother: "Since President Bush declared an end to major combat hostilities on May 1, more than 20 Fort Carson soldiers have died in Iraq."

In New York Times: World Special



In Die-Hard City, G.I.'s Are Enemy: "Loathing for the American occupiers of Iraq looms everywhere in Falluja, where the recent downing of an American helicopter prompted celebrations from many of the locals."

In New York Times: World Special



Saddam 'not organising' Iraqi anti-US resistance (4 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



Dead Sea drying up, Israeli study warns: "The Dead Sea is dying, and only a major engineering effort can save it, Israel's Minister of the Environment said Monday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Great new blog on pre-deployment in IraqWar.info



Congress OKs $87.5B for Iraq, Afghanistan: "Congress voted its final approval Monday for $87.5 billion for U.S. military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, a day after Americans in Iraq endured their worst casualties since March. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iranian Filmmakers Return Home From Iraq: "Two Iranian filmmakers received heroes' welcomes on their arrival in Tehran Monday after being held by U.S.-led coalition forces in neighboring Iraq for four months on suspicion of spying. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Troops Heading Home When Attack Struck: "Karina Lau was hoping to surprise her family in California with a two-week furlough from Iraq. Ernest Bucklew was headed home for his mother's funeral in Pennsylvania. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Soldier Dies in Iraq as Bush Says 'No Retreat': "Faced with a mounting military andcivilian death toll and stiffening guerrilla resistance,President Bush vowed on Monday that the United States would notrun from its "vital" mission in Iraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war news
Judge probing Saddam loyalists assassinated in Iraq: prosecutor: "The judge heading judicial committees to probe former officials of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime in the central city of Najaf was shot dead, a prosecutor who had been kidnapped with him told AFP. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Paying for Iraq Intelligence Blunders: "BAGHDAD, Nov 3 (IPS) -- U.S. intelligence-gathering operations are being called into question after the devastating attacks on the weekend and the rocket attacks and suicide bombings rocking Baghdad and other cities almost every day. To many Iraqis in the know, and even among Coalition officials, the answer is clear. (OneWorld.net)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Hippercritical's Iraq Report: Nov 3/03: "Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Our " Winds of War " coverage of the global War on Terror is a separate briefing today, and both are brought to you by Glenn Halpern of HipperCritical .
TOP TOPICS

• A tough week stretched into the next. Iraqis braced for a day of hell and a US military helicopter got shot down over Western Iraq. In response, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld stated that "the people who are firing off these surface-to-air missiles are the same people who are killing Iraqis ... and they're going to be beaten eventually."
  
• Meanwhile, The Daily Star reports that Iraqis are blaming foreigners for the daily carnage, and there certainly appears to be supporting evidence . That's foreign as in "Europe."
  
• Much of the progress so far in Iraq has come via Commanders Emergency Response (CERP) funds used directly by troops on the ground. Like the 101st Airborne , for instance, Now it appears that CERP has been cut off . WTF??? More here from a USMC Lt. Col. . I'm trying to get the full story, but if true this looks like a dumb decision that's wrong on a number of levels.

Other Topics Today Include: Post-war Iraq progress reports from different angles; Powell takes it easy on the Red Cross and UN; Syria's diplomatic blunder; Iraqis continue to settle old scores; Which cards have we captured; Support the Toy Drive; Support the Troops; Wanted: human shields.
read the rest...
 "

In Command Post: Irak



U.S. Grounds Daytime Chinook Flights in Iraq: "File this one under "20/20 Hindsight"
[Fox News]

The U.S. military grounded all daytime operations by CH-47 Chinook helicopters Monday after Iraqi insurgents downed one the day before, killing 16 soldiers and wounding 20 others.

Fox News has confirmed that Chinook operations will be limited to night flights only.

Full story..."

In Command Post: Irak



Two militants killed in Mecca shootout: "Police battled militants in the streets of the holy city of Mecca on Monday, killing two of the suspects and uncovering a large cache of weapons, the state news agency reported."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



White House: Resolve in Iraq 'unshakable': "This country's determination to prevail in Iraq is "unshakable" despite the downing of an Army helicopter that killed 16 U.S. soldiers, the White House says. Democrats called the assault a fresh illustration of faulty postwar planning."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Long queue at drive-in soup kitchen (3 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA



GIs treated after chopper strike kills 16: "Sixteen U.S. soldiers arrived in Germany on Monday for treatment at an American military hospital after being wounded in the downing of a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter, which killed 16 and injured four others."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Sons, aides of top Iran cleric arrested: "Iranian security agents on Monday arrested two sons and two close aides of Iran's leading dissident cleric, a wife of one of the detainees said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraqi superstar singer hits Kuwaiti market: "Audiotapes by Iraq's superstar singer Kazem al-Saher have at last reached Kuwait after the government allowed them to go on sale, the information minister confirmed. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Iraq war news
Victims Were Heading Home For R&R: "The deadly missile attack on a pair of Chinook helicopters came on the first day of a stepped-up rest and recreation program. Troops from bases in Colorado, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Texas were aboard."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis



Iraqis practice their own form of mojo and voodoo: "Persecuted under Saddam Hussein, Iraq's fortune tellers and exorcists eke out an existence on the street, helping Iraqis find stolen cars, locate kidnapped relatives, conceive babies and chase away the demons. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



UN inspectors should return quickly to Iraq to "finish the job": ElBaradei: "United Nations weapons inspectors should return to Iraq as quickly as possible to "finish the job," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei said in a televised interview. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Syria warns of Golan Heights resistance: "Ordinary Syrians might attack Israeli settlements in the occupied Golan Heights in retaliation for last month's Israeli air raid on a purported militant training camp near Damascus, Syrian officials warned."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraq's neighbors call for border control: "Arab, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers condemned terrorist bombings in Iraq and called on Iraqi officials to cooperate on border control Sunday after talks on the Iraqi crisis - which Baghdad's interim authority boycotted."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Coalition steadfast in dangerous Iraq: "They're doing what they can to tighten security - but they're also talking tough and refusing to budge."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Four US soldiers wounded in roadside bombing west of Baghdad: witnesses: "Four US soldiers were wounded in a roadside bombing in Fallujah hot on the heels of the deadly downing of a US military helicopter on the outskirts of the flashpoint Iraqi town, witnesses said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Blast rips through oil pipeline in northern Iraq: official: "An explosion has torn apart an oil pipeline near Kirkuk, 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of Baghdad, a company official told AFP. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



22 Times in Last 2 Weeks, a Grim Knock at the Door: "The steady rhythm of casualties is producing a steady rhythm of grim rituals."

In New York Times: World Special

Posted on Sun, Nov. 02, 2003

Foreign fighters involved in Iraq terror
By JOHN WALCOTT and DREW BROWN
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence officials now believe that some foreign Islamic fighters are cooperating with remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime, surviving members of a Kurdish Islamic militant group, a new crop of foreign Islamic militants and a smattering of Iraqi nationalists and angry Shiite Muslims to mount terrorist attacks in Iraq.

In his Saturday radio address, parts of which reflected the intelligence analysts' latest assessment, President Bush acknowledged that the groups "have different long-term goals," but he said they "share a near-term strategy: to intimidate Iraqis from building a free government and to cause America and our allies to flee our responsibilities. … The terrorists grew to believe that if they hit America hard - as in Lebanon and Somalia - America would retreat and back down."

The intelligence officials, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity because intelligence assessments are classified, said they have no evidence that the attacks are centrally directed. They said many of the attacks appear to be carried out independently by small groups using improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

But they said the groups have begun to lend what one official called "some significant support" to one another:

_ Local Iraqis, the officials said, are providing near real-time intelligence by watching U.S. troop movements, roads and defenses, as an August 18 U.S. Army War College study reported the Iraqis did as American forces drove toward Baghdad in March and April.

"Scouts in civilian clothes reconnoitered U.S. positions continuously; reported via cell/satellite phones, landlines, couriers," the War College study said. The study also reported that U.S. Marines in the southern city of Nasiriyah captured a "detailed, accurate sandtable of U.S. positions."

Intelligence officials also worry that hostile Iraqis may have penetrated some coalition civilian and military operations, housing compounds and other areas, much as members of the Viet Cong simultaneously worked for and spied on the United States, the South Vietnamese government and some news organizations during the Vietnam War.

"You never know who you might have working for you, and some of these people, I'm not sure they are who they say they are," said one senior coalition military official in Baghdad.


Holdouts from Saddam's military, irregular forces, intelligence service and secret police provide vehicles, munitions, military expertise, especially in making and detonating explosives, and what one official called "some higher level understanding of our equipment and tactics based on the `91 (Persian Gulf) war and the technical help they got over the years from the Soviet Union."


Members of the militant Kurdish Islamic group Ansar al Islam who survived U.S. and Kurdish attacks on their sanctuary in northern Iraq earlier this year, the officials said, provide a network of safe houses in the Baghdad area. Saddam's government tolerated the terrorist group's presence because Ansar's main enemy was Saddam's Kurdish opponents in northern Iraq, who are cooperating with the United States.

"Maybe some people (in the administration) overstated the ties between Saddam and Ansar, and between Ansar and al-Qaida," said one official. "But everybody knew everybody else, and that may have made it easier for them to find one another and cooperate now."


Fresh Islamic recruits from Syria, Jordan, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Algeria and even Albania, one official said, provide "a willingness to carry out suicide missions" as well as "some limited training with rudimentary weapons and tactics. A lot of what we seem to be seeing aren't hardcore mujahedeen from the Afghan war (against Soviet occupation) or senior al-Qaida, but new recruits who want their turn."

"Each of these groups by itself would be less of a problem," said another official. "But by cooperating, they've been able to watch us more closely and adapt faster to what we're doing. As a result, this is going to take some time, even if we avoid making the kind of mistakes that (anger) more people and drive them into the enemy camp."

AberdeenNews.com - Your South Dakota Everything Guide

Iraq war news
Tikrit elders talk with U.S. soldiers: "The tribal elders from Saddam Hussein's home region extended an invitation to U.S. soldiers for talks - and told them townspeople are against "terrorists" throwing bombs but also don't like soldiers putting guns to men's heads during searches."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Fourteen die in Baghdad clashes in CNN - War in Iraq



American soldier killed as US warns of new Iraq threat: "Another US soldier has been killed in Iraq, after US consular officials warned of fresh attacks and Washington insisted there was no evidence ousted dictator Saddam Hussein is coordinating strikes in the country. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bomb in Northern Iraq Kills 3 Americans-- Police: "A roadside bomb blast in thenorthern Iraqi city of Mosul Saturday killed three Americansand wounded two, Iraqi police at the scene told Reuters. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq