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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Barrage Of Iraqi Attacks Kills 19, Including 8 U.S. Troops BAGHDAD — Eight U.S. service members were killed in two attacks today in Iraq, making it the deadliest day against the military this year, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. At least 11 Iraqis also were killed Monday in a surge of attacks throughout the country. Five of the Americans died when a suicide bomber walked up to a foot patrol in Baghdad and self-detonated. The others died while on a patrol in Diyala province, the official said. He asked not to be identified as he isn't an official spokesman. The rash of attacks against a spectrum of targets raised new questions about whether the U.S. can draw down its presence from the current buildup to levels of about a year ago. None of the seven blasts was as powerful as the twin bombings that killed 68 people last Thursday in a Baghdad shopping district. It was unclear was whether Monday's bombers acted in coordination. But Iraqi officials interpreted the wave of attacks as Sunni Muslim insurgents reasserting their presence at a time when violence had dipped to record lows and families were tentatively venturing out of their walled-off neighborhoods. U.S. military leaders in Washington and Baghdad have been anxious about plans to reduce troops this summer. Many have said that it would be devastating if American troops departed secure areas, lost control to insurgents, then had to retake them. But hours after the attacks, military leaders sought to assuage concerns, saying that while al Qaida in Iraq would attack in a last-ditch effort to reassert its hold on parts of the country, it couldn't take back communities. In a briefing to Pentagon reporters, Maj. Gen. John Kelly, the commander of Multinational Force West, which includes Anbar province, said that al Qaida in Iraq was "down but not out." "But, you know, the good news story is — and it is very key in an insurgency — they don't last very long in anything approaching a built-up area, even a village, without us being notified by the locals," he said. Two of Monday's explosions occurred in militia-controlled Shiite Muslim districts, signaling that bombers still can strike in the heart of Mahdi Army territory. Another blast ripped through a hotel in the cultural hub of Sulaimaniyah in the autonomous northern Kurdish region, which is ordinarily among the safest places in Iraq. In central Baghdad, five U.S. service members died after an apparent suicide bomber wearing an explosives vest approached their patrol in the once-upscale neighborhood of Mansour, according to the U.S. command in Baghdad. That five of the soldiers were killed while on foot patrol in Baghdad was jarring for the military. American troops boast that they now can walk along streets that were intense battlegrounds just months ago. They often stop and chat with shop owners while escorted by self-appointed "mayors" of communities who've taken responsibly for the local security. Monday's attack in Baghdad was the deadliest on troops in the capital in nearly a year, and the deadliest of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq. So far, the U.S. drawdown of one brigade has produced mixed results. The first American brigade left Diyala province earlier this year, and the military moved two battalions out of Baghdad to secure Diyala and the northern city of Mosul, which remain two of the country's most violent areas. However, there was a small uptick in Iraqi civilian deaths in Baghdad, according to Iraqi government statistics. The second brigade, the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, is starting to leave now. There are roughly 162,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. As of Monday afternoon, 3,982 American service members had been killed in the country, including seven so far this month.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 6.
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
We're obvious not paying the Iraqis enough not to shoot at us. I have a feeling that as soon as Bush leaves office, all hell is going to break loose.
How can we tell the difference?
tom... We will never leave the ME...Conditions may change, but we will remain.
Not if Israel has it way we won't.
#7. To: tom007 (#6)
You just returned from an area that is vitally interested in world affairs and events beyond Iraq. The backdoor to China stretches from Australia, to the Philippines, to Guam, to Taiwan, to Japan.
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