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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Fresh violence kills 44 in Iraq |
| 2004-09-05 |
| Violence left 44 dead in Iraq yesterday in one of the bloodiest days since the new Iraqi government took office, as hopes slipped for two French journalists held by a radical Islamic group and saboteurs hit oil pipelines in the north and south of the country. Police suffered heavy losses in two incidents, and clashes raged between US forces and insurgents. The pipeline attacks were yet another blow to Iraq's fragile economy, after an attack earlier in the week crippled a key oil export pipeline to Turkey. Iraqi police and national guardsmen, assisted by US forces, launched a major assault on the no-go zone of Latifiya, a stronghold of the Sunni Muslim insurgency south of Baghdad, in the boldest offensive by the new government since it took power at the end of June. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit said the raid targeted criminals and militants. Twelve policemen were killed and five national guardsmen wounded in the raids that saw 200 suspects arrested, an Iraqi national guard officer said. ''We have received orders from Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to search Latifiya for weapons and terrorists,'' he told AFP. ''The operation will last at least a week.'' The officer, who declined to be named, was speaking from Mahmudiya, another town on the deadly stretch of road where foreigners, US forces and Iraqi police have often been targeted by insurgents. Violence also flared in the northern city of Kirkuk, where 17 people were killed and 36 wounded in a suicide car bombing, said Doctor Ridha Abdullah, head of the Kirkuk general hospital. The bomb went off in front of a police academy, and 14 of the dead were policemen. Also in northern Iraq, 13 Iraqis were killed and 53 wounded as US forces and insurgents battled for six hours in Tall Afar, west of the main city of Mosul, medics said. The US troops, backed by a small national guard detachment, poured into the city after dawn to hunt down a ''terrorist cell'' and detained a wanted individual, the military said. ''The city of Tall Afar has been a suspected haven for terrorists crossing into Iraq from Syria,'' it said. Insurgents hit a US helicopter with gunfire and two soldiers were wounded as the chopper made an emergency landing. As the clashes intensified, an F-16 fighter jet dropped a large bomb near the city, the military said. Soldiers guarding the downed helicopter killed two insurgents after coming under rocket-propelled grenade fire, it said, adding that three Iraqi national guards were wounded in a separate incident. It was unclear whether their deaths were included in the total for Tall Afar. US troops pulled out at 2pm (2000 AEST), with insurgents still hunkered down behind cars and in buildings awaiting a fresh assault. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 I really hope I am incorrect in the following observation. Has anyone noticed that the in the last coupled of weeks the level of Islamic terrorist inflicted multi-bloodbaths has risen to a VERY frenzied degree. Why? Could it be the killers of jihad movement are relishing the upcoming date of September 11th, 2004 in which Wahhabi death cultists staged the worst terrorist cowardinated terrorist attack in America's history? Or.... Have some of the head al-Qa'ida henchmen already planed another Russian school slaughter in another country on or about the 21st century's day which shall live in infamy? Al Qa'ida's 'Terrorist Inc.' has frighten demonstrated their brutal, beast-like willingness, and even glee, at machine gunning down small children in the back. The murder toll from the Russian school massacre is at least 350 victims of extremist Muslim madness. Are other jihadic fanatics lurking out there ready to inflict even greater terrorism at another grammar school? Let us hope & pray the coming week leading up to next Saturday's September 11th or 2004 passes without further incident's involving national security issues or breaches of public safety. The American public (except wacko leftwing protesters) could do with some breaking news concerning substantial victories against the Islamo-Fascist enemies of the civilized world. Bagging Osama alive would an incredible moral boost. A heavy dose of truth serum will be in order. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-09-05 6:25:46 AM |