Politics

U.S. Soldiers Searching 'Brazen' Donkey Carts

Donkey Carts Blast Through 'Operation Iron Hammer'
More than a dozen rockets fired from donkey carts slammed into Iraq’s Oil Ministry and two hotels today – in brazen coordinated strikes at Baghdad’s most heavily protected civilian sites. Two other rocket launchers mounted on donkey carts were found within hours - one 30 yards from the Italian Embassy and another near the Academy of Fine Arts, both in the Waziriya neighbourhood. Iraqi police and US troops were seen securing those weapons, which apparently had not been fired, and US soldiers were seen searching donkey carts on nearby streets. Elsewhere, a US soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division was killed and two were injured near the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, yesterday when a roadside bomb exploded next to their convoy, the military said today.

More Troops Called Up, Reserve, Guard Units
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered an additional 15,000 Reserve and National Guard troops Wednesday to prepare for the possibility of yearlong duty in Iraq or Kuwait, rounding out a plan to rotate U.S. forces in the region by next spring. Combined with alert warnings and deployment orders approved two weeks ago, Rumsfeld's decision brings to 58,000 the total number of Reserve and National Guard troops who have been alerted for possible service in the Persian Gulf region early next year.

Muslim Roadside Bomb Kills
One US Soldier, Two Wounded
BAGHDAD - One US soldier was killed and two wounded Thursday when a military convoy was hit by a roadside bomb near the western Iraqi town of Ramadi, a US military spokesman said. An improvised explosive device of the sort favoured by anti-US insurgents blew up as the convoy passed by east of the town between 2:30 and 3:30 pm (1130 GMT and 1230 GMT), the spokesman said. "There was one killed in action and two wounded."

Bush Goes Home Amid Last
Spate With British Protesters
LONDON -- Last spate of daily protests against US President George W. Bush visit to Britain drew about 500 people upon his arrival at British Prime Minister Tony Blair's constituency Friday, a few hours before his flight back to the US, police said. The police said it cost them one million pounds (1.67 million US dollars) for the few hours of security operation in Sedgefield, northeastern England, with some 1,300 police on duty to protect the American president.

Car Bombs Target Cooperative Iraqi Chiefs
RAMADI, Iraq - Insurgents set off two deadly car bombs in Iraq, one targeting leaders of one of Iraq's largest tribes and the other exploding outside the offices of a Kurdish political party, amid a U.S. military campaign aimed at thwarting armed resistance. The blasts, one late Wednesday and the other yesterday morning, left seven people dead. No one claimed responsibility in either blast. The bomb yesterday outside the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan also killed an apparent suicide bomber.

Sniper Jury Leaves For Weekend Without Sentence
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The jury that convicted John Muhammad on two counts of capital murder and other charges related to the D.C.-area sniper spree was unable to decide on a sentence for the 45-year-old Army veteran on Friday and was released until Monday. After four hours of deliberations, the panel of seven women and five men failed to reach any decision. They were supposed to recess for the weekend at 1 p.m. EST, and just before that they sent the judge two questions.

Posted by Editor at November 21, 2003 02:53 PM