Iraq War News

RETRANSMITTED NEWS RELEASE from U.S. Central Command

Release Number: 03-07-91
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 31, 2003
(813) 827-5894

LOCAL LEADERS SUPPORT COALITION

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Karbala city council members publicly expressed their
support for Coalition forces actions during recent demonstrations in the 1st
Marine Expeditionary Force area of operation on July 29. The Karbala city
council said the Coalition is handling the security situation in Karbala
properly.

At a Husaybah border-crossing checkpoint, an attempted improvised explosive
device attack was prevented when 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment soldiers
discovered it. The IED consisted of a propane cylinder connected to
electrical wires and had wires connected that ran into an alley nearby. The
local Iraqi Police dismantled and removed the IED.

During the last 24 hours, coalition forces conducted 44 raids, 1011 day
patrols and 817 night patrols and conducted 136 day patrols and 136 night
patrols jointly with Iraqi police. Iraqi Police conducted 16 day patrols
and nine night patrols.

The total raids and patrols resulted in 161 arrests including 16 for murder,
one for kidnapping, 10 for carjacking, eight for aggravated assault, four
for burglary and eight for looting.

-30-

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UH OH .. THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD(hehe)

Well ... if the rumors pan out let's just say it doesn't look good for Democrats.

There's a bit of a buzz around Washington that our investigators in Iraq are meeting with more success than you have been lead to believe in the search for Saddam's weapons. One rumor has it that we can expect to learn a lot more in, say, about six months. I've been floating this idea for a few weeks not ... our D.C. pal Jamie Dupree has been pooh-poohing it.

Some might say that if Bush has the goods on Saddam now he should make the information available now. No way, not after that ridiculous 16-word fiasco. Cross all the "Is" and dot all the Is" and then when you're absolutely sure .. call the press conference.

Now ... let's just say that we do discover incontrovertible proof that Saddam was building his ugly weapons. Somehow the left is going to have to make the case that it makes no difference, and that we shouldn't have been there in the first place. We'll leave it to Howard Dean to make that case.

QUID PRO
NEALZ NUZE

A United States Army tank crew guards an area of central Baghdad as the sun rises in this July 30, 2003 file photo. Four days after U.S. troops killed several passers-by in Baghdad during the hunt for Saddam Hussein the U.S. commander in Iraq admitted on July 31, 2003 that innocent people had died, but stopped short of accepting blame. 'On the issue of the innocent civilians that were killed and injured in that raid, we established some...traffic control points to isolate the area that we were operating in,' Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told a news conference in answer to questions about the bloody raid. Photo by Faleh Kheiber/Reuters Yahoo! News - World Photos - Reuters

TIKRIT, Iraq — The Americans are hunting Saddam Hussein using tattered documents, dusty tanks - and satellites and flying robots.

The U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, dubbed the "digital division" because of the technology it uses, is combining the low-tech skills of traditional soldiering with high-tech gadgets in its hunt for the fugitive Iraqi dictator.

The cavernous hall of one of Saddam's palaces is illuminated by computer screens as soldiers work, listening to the latest television news updates on the hunt for the ousted dictator.

Overhead, satellites record movement along the Iraqi terrain, spy-planes scour hiding spots with thermal scans and unmanned drones feed live video to division headquarters, said Lt. Col. Ted Martin, the division's operations officer.

He said the division is also using some new high-tech tricks. The radar in Apache attack helicopters, originally designed to target moving tanks, is being used to track cars and detect unusual traffic patterns.

"The systems, the people and the training we have here aren't designed to hunt one human being," Mr. Martin said. "But everything we have can be applied to tracking down this key leader."

When the Army receives a report of a suspicious meeting, it will call in the Air Force, deploy unmanned planes and send in helicopters, Mr. Martin said. If the lead looks promising, infantry troops backed by Bradley fighting vehicles can be dispatched.

"It would amaze these guys if they knew the effort that goes in before we kick a door down," Mr. Martin said.

The Army also has generated images of what Saddam could look like after three months on the run.

"Soldiers have been provided with examples of what he might look like," Mr. Martin said. "Maybe he looks exactly like he did. We explore every possibility."

The soldiers are using more traditional, low-tech search methods as well. On the ground, patrolling soldiers and interpreters collect tips from residents.

Since the deaths of Saddam's sons Odai and Qusai last week in a shootout with U.S. forces, there has been a surge in the amount of information being given to the 4th Infantry, whose territory spans from just north of Baghdad to just south of Mosul and then east to the Iranian border.

The area includes the so-called "Sunni Triangle," where support for Saddam runs strongest.

The tips have led soldiers to weapons caches, guerrilla recruiters and senior Saddam allies, Mr. Martin said.

Documents found in each raid help mount the next one. Soldiers collect documents from raided houses to help piece together the inner workings of Saddam's realm and, hopefully, clues to his last remaining refuges.

Group photographs, cellphones, computer hard drives, government documents and anything bearing an official seal are taken for examination by intelligence officers. And any questions raised by the documents are taken to former members of the regime in custody. In the end, Mr. Martin said, it may well be happenstance when the U.S. Army catches up to Saddam.

"I don't think it's going to be a satellite that catches Saddam Hussein," he said. "I think it's going to be a soldier with a rifle."



Globetechnology

BIRTHDAY - Michael R. Eakin, a U.S. Army serviceman who is stationed in Iraq, will celebrate his birthday Wednesday, Aug. 13. He is the son of Mike and Robin Eakin of Utica. Cards may be sent to him in care of: Cpl. Michael R. Eakin; A-224 MI; APO AE 09302. The Derrick

Area troops need our help

By DAVE CLARKE Regional Coordinator
One-hundred-and-twenty-degree heat, months away from home, months away from when you were supposed to go home and daily ambushes, often with casualties, has made life hard for U.S. troops serving in Iraq.

That's why a Kewanee woman whose son just returned from nine months of duty in the region has decided it's time to revive the drive to help the troops. We're dubbing it "Operation Care Lift."

Celeste Kenney's son, Justin, recently came home after serving with the Air Force in the Persian Gulf.

His stories of what the young men and women of the U.S. military who toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein and are now going through while involved in stabilizing Iraq spurred her to action.

"These soldiers are in great need of simple items like magazines and sun screen," said Kenney, who spearheaded a similar drive during the first Gulf War while her sister was deployed in Operation Desert Storm.

"I'm asking for help in taking care of our own," said Kenney who pointed out there is a need for baby wipes, insect repellent, disposable razors, canned hams, Kool-Aid, Gatorade mix, hard candy, dry shampoo, eye drops, soap, deodorant and cookies.

"Just like the people of Iraq, these soldiers have no running water or electricity in many places," she said.

National sports, entertainment or news magazines for men and women are needed. "They don't get any current news over there," she said. When you're baking in Baghdad, or pulling watch on an aircraft carrier, any print material, even the latest on Ben and Jen's wedding plans, helps you cope and gives you something from home.

Monetary donations are also being sought to help defray mailing expenses. "Anyone out there who has had a son or daughter in the military overseas knows who much mailing can cost," said Kenney, who pointed out packages can cost up to $14 per pound to mail.

When Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March, Kenney teamed up with Jim Watson, manager at Term City, 117 W. Second St., and set up a display for photos of all service men and women serving in the military. That display is still in place and there's room for more. She suggested youth groups or individuals of any age might "adopt" a service man or woman posted in the window at Term City, or add one of their own.

First, Kenney needs names. She has gathered a list of about eight service personnel serving on ships or on land in the Persian Gulf and will start mailing donated items to them as soon as possible from her hometown "USO" drive.

Anyone with a son, daughter, husband, wife or grandchild serving in the Persian Gulf who would like them to receive items from home, call Kenney at 856-5016, or e-mail her at magaceleste@yahoo.com. with a name and APO address.

Items can be dropped off at Term City between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Monetary donations may also be left there, or mailed to Kenney at 911 Simpson Ave., Kewanee, Ill., 61443.

With a spirit more common in America during World War II, a new millennium mom is reaching out. "Let's band together again to help our troops, our kids," she said.
Kewanee Star Courier: City News Column

Thu July 31, 2003 12:42 PM ET
By Michael Georgy
RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - The U.S. military commander of Iraq's biggest province said Thursday American troops were virtually powerless to stop escalating booby-trap and bomb attacks on their convoys.

"Frankly there is little that we can do as far as force protection," said Col. David Teeples, commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in al-Anbar province, home to some of Iraq's most restive and anti-American cities.

Over the past two weeks, his forces have witnessed an escalation in attacks by improvised explosive devices -- TNT, plastic explosive and propane cylinders hooked to electrical wires triggered by remote control devices.

U.S. troops have responded by stepping up highway patrols in an effort to stop the bloodshed.

"Any piles of sand, bags, garbage, tires, anything that may be close to the road is going to be taken very cautiously," Teeples told Reuters in an interview in his command center in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces on the edge of Ramadi.

"It is going to be cleared with a bulldozer or there will be action by the convoy against those that may be close enough to command detonate that."

Guerrilla attacks have killed 52 U.S. troops since President Bush declared major combat over on May 1. A number of the attacks have taken place in al-Anbar province.

U.S. military officials have blamed the violence on former Baath party members and guerrillas loyal to Saddam, who was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion on April 9.

Teeples said about 25 hardcore Baath party officials in the towns of Ramadi, Falluja and Habbaniya were financing attacks.

CONSTANT ATTACKS

Ramadi is hit nearly every night by mortar attacks and U.S. military convoys frequently come under fire from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) by day.

"We have been attacked by subversive elements and I believe that these subversive elements are young males that can be paid a lot of money and receive weapons from former Baathists and former regime loyalists," Teeples said.

"It is inviting for them to set up an explosive device or to shoot an RPG at a coalition force because they are going to get paid a great deal of money for doing it."

Teeples said young men hard up for cash and pro-Saddam guerrillas with military training were behind the bloodshed.

"I think that there are some that are unemployed that are just not happy with their situation and they are told by subversive leaders that they can make some money and get rid of coalition forces at the same time," he said.

"I think there are also some Saddam Fedayeen, some people that are knowledgeable of weapons, knowledgeable of how to fire and how to set up explosives that are also being coerced by some of the regime loyalists that have money."

Teeples said that so far his troops had arrested more than 200 Iraqis suspected of attacking or planning attacks on U.S. soldiers. Earlier in the day, he offered a $500 reward for any shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons handed in by Iraqis, after unsuccessful attacks on U.S. aircraft.

"Eventually someday there is the hope that we will be able to fly civilian aircraft into Iraq. Since civilian aircraft do not have defense mechanisms we would like to get anti-aircraft shoulder-fired weapons off of the individuals who may have them," he said.
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

U.S. Bartering Arms for Soldiers for Iraq War: "UNITED NATIONS, July 30 (IPS) -- Faced with a rising death toll among its soldiers in Iraq, the United States is trying to "buy" foreign troops for a proposed 30,000-troop multinational force in Baghdad. (OneWorld.net)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Relaxed OPEC aims for steady oil output with eye on Iraq: "OPEC oil ministers meeting called for an extension of current output quotas until Iraqi exports pick up to a steady flow, despite worries in consumer countries about low stock levels. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq's main oil pipeline to Turkey to open within a few days: "Iraq's main pipeline from Kirkuk north to Turkey, wrecked in a post-war sabotage attack, will reopen within a few days, a coalition official revealed, correcting an earlier statement it would not open before October. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Al-Jazeera accuses US of harassment in row over 'bias' (30 July 03) in Radio Free USA



Bush accepts blame for uranium charge in mangled speech, but press lets him off the hook (31 July 03) in Radio Free USA



Scientists still deny Iraqi arms programs - US interrogations net no evidence (31 July 03) in Radio Free USA



US scraps nuclear weapons watchdog (31 July 03) in Radio Free USA



Do not use 45-minute claim, CIA told No 10 (31 July 03) in Radio Free USA



Vital Train Trade Route Reopens in Iraq: "AP :

ALONG THE IRAQ-SYRIA BORDER - The first train from Syria through northern Iraq to Mosul was a few minutes late, but after more than a year without service, the residents of Rabiyah weren't complaining.

The train, consisting of dozens of freight and tanker cars, one sleeper and several passenger cars, resumed service only half full Wednesday. But it was sold out with goodwill.

"It brings us to the future, this train," said Mohsin al Naif, a leader of the Schamar tribe that has strong ties with Rabiyah, an Iraqi border town of 25,000 residents, and in Syria as well. "We are bound by blood on both sides of the border."

More ..."

In Command Post: Irak



GI Killed in Iraq; Voting May Be Upcoming: "Iraq's U.S.-appointed governing council, struggling with questions about its legitimacy, could be replaced by an elected government in less than a year, Iraq's U.S. administrator said Thursday. An American soldier was killed as troops chased Saddam Hussein from hideout to hideout in northern Iraq. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



GI Killed, 2 Hurt in Attack at Iraq Base: "A U.S. soldier was killed and two were wounded by small-arms fire at their base in northern Iraq, the military said Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Last Updated: Thursday, 31 July, 2003, 14:37 GMT 15:37 UK

E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Two US soldiers killed in Iraq


The APC was turned over by the force of the blast
Two American soldiers were killed and five wounded on Thursday in attacks in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
The US military said a member of the 1st Armoured Division was killed and three of his colleagues were injured when their armoured personnel carrier hit a landmine on a road in Baghdad.

But eyewitnesses said the vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade or rocket fired at close range.

Earlier, a unit from the 4th Infantry Division come under small arms fire at a tactical operations centre near Baqubah, north-east of the city. One soldier died and two were wounded.

The latest evidence of sustained resistance to the American presence came on the same day that the US administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, said general elections could be held within a year.


There is substantial hostility to the US presence in Iraq
The Baghdad area has seen repeated attacks against American troops, including a grenade attack last Saturday which killed three soldiers guarding a children's hospital.

More than 50 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since President George W Bush declared an end to major hostilities three months ago, following the collapse of President Saddam Hussein's regime.

US forces say the resistance is being conducted by disaffected members of the former regime.

But some correspondents suggest that the Americans' aggressive tactics are making the occupation forces increasingly unpopular.


BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Two US soldiers killed in Iraq

1st. Lt. Chris Haggard of the U.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment CNN.com - Army placates Fallujah with bucks - Jul. 30, 2003

Saluting 'Mama'

Soldier's mom cited for Web site during Iraq war




By Steve Fry
The Capital-Journal
FORT RILEY -- Not everyone who received a medal this week at the post's Cavalry Parade Field was wearing an Army uniform.

Mary Ann "Mama" Norwood, 71, escorted by her soldier son, walked up to a general to receive awards for coordinating an Internet Web site between her son's unit and the Fort Riley home front. Her son, Staff Sgt. Michael Norwood, 40, is the platoon sergeant of the support platoon.

She was quick to note Wednesday that the Web site also was the work of four other people: a second son, Steve Norwood; Steve Wright, a brother of a corporal in the battalion; Jennifer Earley, wife of a platoon sergeant; and Luke Niederinghau, a brother of a battalion soldier.

During award ceremonies on Tuesday, "Mama" Norwood was escorted to Lt. Col. George Geezy III, commander of the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment; Brig. Gen. Dennis Hardy, commander of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized); and battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Alfredo Albizu.

Norwood received a medal and framed certificate for the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Army, an award for being the Family Readiness Group Leader and a coin from the 24th Division. The Family Readiness Center at Fort Riley provides aid and training to the families of soldiers called up for duty overseas. Family members learn about the Army, separation from their soldiers and how to help one another.

Norwood, who also received hugs from Geezy, Hardy and Albizu, was the only civilian to receive an award during the ceremony in which 12 Bronze Stars with "V" for valor devices and eight Purple Hearts were awarded to soldiers in a task force of the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment. Bronze Stars are awarded for heroism in combat. Purple Hearts are awarded to soldiers wounded in combat. The task force had just returned from fighting in Iraq.





Ann Williamson/The Capital-Journal
Mary Ann "Mama" Norwood is given the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from Brig. Gen. Dennis E. Hardy for helping coordinate a Web site that helped Fort Riley soldiers in Iraq keep in contact with home.One day during the Iraq war, Norwood was awakened at 3 a.m. by an audible computer message from her son, Sgt. Norwood, asking about a reported medical emergency in the family of a soldier in his unit. Linked by the Internet, the soldier and the sergeant communicated via the computer with "Mama" Norwood, who was talking to a doctor treating the soldier's wife. Based on the doctor's advice, Sgt. Norwood immediately started the paperwork to send the soldier home on emergency leave.
"I think every unit should have this," "Mama" Norwood said of the Web site. "They're fast, they're efficient."

The Web site, which is funded by the Norwoods, is called "roadhog.org." Roadhogs is a longtime nickname of Sgt. Norwood's platoon, which drives vehicles to provide food, water and other supplies to battalion soldiers.

Users of the site, who number well beyond Sgt. Norwood's platoon, started calling themselves Roadhogs, and by the time the battalion returned home in mid-July, 300 T-shirts with the Roadhogs name had been printed up for family members.

Steve Fry can be reached at (785) 295-1206 or steve.fry@cjonline.com.

Saluting 'Mama' 07/31/03

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Mosul is a town that did not get much attention until Saddam Hussein’s sons, Odai and Qusai, were killed there last week, a triumph that was promptly followed by two deadly attacks on U.S. personnel.

But for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) soldiers who guard the Al Kindi missile research facility, Mosul has always been a tense and dangerous mission.

Al Kindi was a part of the State Organization for Technical Industries, a part of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The facility used to be the biggest missile development site in Iraq, according to U.S. intelligence reports.

The site is so significant that it was one of the first searched by U.S. troops for nuclear weapons. Although no weapons of mass destruction have been reported, the facility is crammed full of what one 101st senior NCO officer called “dangerous junk,� such as missile parts, explosives and other items that draw a mix of criminals, terrorists and people just looking to turn a buck.

Today, all that can be seen of Al Kindi is a high wall marked by guard towers manned by Iraqi police forces. Outside the compound, dozens of thoroughly looted trailers lie askew, listing and rusting in the heat.

Company Bravo, the 120 U.S. troops from the 101st’s 1st Brigade who act as the security force for Al Kindi, live in a well-secured warehouse compound that lies steps away from the main facility.

The U.S. soldiers are busy because the wealth of goodies inside the Al Kindi gates makes it an attractive target for criminal groups, said Col. Ben Hodges, commander of the “Bastogne Bulldogs,� the 101st’s 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade.

Such intruders might want to invade Al Kindi for potentially deadly and sophisticated electronics and munitions, Hodges said during a Monday visit to Bravo Company, which is temporarily attached to the 101st’s 2nd Brigade in Mosul.

Army explosive ordnance experts will deal with Al Kindi at some point, but the compound “is probably one of 20 massive caches� in the 101st’s area of responsibility, Hodges said.

Meanwhile, U.S. civil affairs personnel are trying to warn the local population that looting Al Kindi is not only illegal, but could result in tragedy if someone unwittingly picks up an explosive or other dangerous device.

Until the ordnance experts can come in and “sanitize� Al Kindi, Company Bravo soldiers will continue to defend the site.

On Sunday night, U.S. troops “received [a tip] that indicated an attack might be imminent,� Schuler said Monday.

In response, the company conducted a mission that resulted in the apprehension of 55 people and the capture of several dangerous weapons, which a senior NCO asked not to have detailed, for security reasons.

“I’d rather just describe [the captured weapons] in general terms, because the bad guys may still be out there,� the sergeant said.
European and Pacific Stars & Stripes

Annan: Nations Want U.N. Umbrella in Iraq: "Many nations want a U.N. umbrella on the U.S.-led operation in Iraq before they commit troops, and Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that he would support a new U.N. resolution to help pull the necessary nations together. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Various Technologies Used to Hunt Saddam: "The Americans are hunting Saddam Hussein using tattered documents, dusty tanks - and satellites and flying robots. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bush accepts blame for Iraq intelligence row, warns on al-Qaeda: "US President George W. Bush expressed confidence his government could thwart a feared new wave of al-Qaeda attacks, and said he took "personal responsibility" for using discredited data on Iraq's nuclear aspirations. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Various technologies used to hunt Saddam: "The Americans are hunting Saddam Hussein using tattered documents, dusty tanks - and satellites and flying robots."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Marines move closer to Liberia: "As U.S. Marines moved closer to waters off Liberia, President Bush promised Wednesday that America "will be there to help" but stopped short of saying U.S. forces would go ashore for peacekeeping duty."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Saudi says U.S. cleared him of 9/11 ties: "A civil aviation worker is at the center of the latest U.S.-Saudi dispute over whether the kingdom is doing enough to fight terror even though he claimed U.S. officials earlier cleared him of involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

ANALYSIS-As Iraq attacks deadlier, U.S. must weigh risk

By Alastair Macdonald

TIKRIT, Iraq, July 31 (Reuters) - It calls to mind a wagon train rumbling through hostile territory; armed men riding shotgun up top squint into an angry sun, seeing a potential enemy in every approaching figure, behind every patch of scrub.

The U.S. Army machinegunners swivelling their sights onto passing cars on Iraq's busy Highway 1 through Saddam Hussein's Sunni heartlands north of Baghdad have reason to be nervous.

Three months into an edgy sort of peace declared by their president on May 1, 52 American soldiers have been killed, their slow-moving convoys and isolated guardposts making soft targets for shadowy enemies able to strike at will with vast stocks of secreted Iraqi military hardware and homemade bombs.

Some strategic reflection ought -- and appears -- to be under way as it is getting harder for the troops; a third of the deaths have come in the last two weeks alone. And there could be worse, much worse to come, security analysts say.

"What you've seen so far are just pinpricks. You look at the Americans and they have no idea what to look out for. The IRA could have massacred hundreds by now," said a military expert in Baghdad, who has experience of Northern Ireland.

U.S. commanders say attacks are getting more sophisticated.

"They're getting smarter, using more timing devices, more sophisticated triggers," said an officer with the 4th Infantry Division in Tikrit, Saddam's home town north of the capital.

"We found one cache of 2,000 lb (900 kg) of C4 explosive. That's worrying when you think we needed just 5 lb (2 kg) to blow up a huge statue of Saddam in Tikrit."

There has yet to be a major blast, like a truck bombing.

TRYING NEW TACKS

President George W. Bush spoke on Wednesday of switching to forces lighter on their feet than those used to invade Iraq. Washington has already pulled out Marines, shock troops who proved a little too trigger-happy for postwar policing. Tanks too have less of a role against guerrillas or in city streets.

Three broad strategies may help U.S. forces avoid a repeat of Vietnam, where daily bloodshed fuelled demands at home for withdrawal before aims of stabilising the country were reached.

First, they need to win over most Iraqis. However popular Saddam's overthrow has been, fear and resentment of blank-eyed machinegunners commanding their streets -- and occasionally killing innocent passers-by -- is doing the reverse.

"They need to be seen in a softer light, whether they are in body armour, or not, or in Humvees or in tanks," said Colonel Christopher Langton, head of defence analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

"The only thing they can do to soften that image is to take risks. But they will probably still be attacked."

British troops, with long experience of policing in Belfast, quickly abandoned helmets and sunglasses to patrol in Basra and have been training Americans elsewhere in Iraq.

A second strategy is to pull back off the streets.

"One of the lessons of Vietnam is you don't win a guerrilla war with military means alone," said Andrew Denison, foreign policy and security expert at Transatlantic Networks.

"You need a lot of flexibility to try to work with the powers that be and that sometimes means stepping back a bit."

Iraqi police and soldiers are being recruited. In some towns, the Americans have been keeping more to the outskirts.

Washington is also trying to spread the burden by bringing in foreign armies, including Poles, though this has run up against lingering ill-feeling over the war among key allies.

"A solution could be to find soldiers who can do their work," said Colonel Jean-Louis Dufour, a French military consultant. "These could be Poles, but better still would be Iraqis. The condition is that such a force must not be infiltrated and that it works...That is not guaranteed."

ON THE OFFENSIVE

Finally, the U.S. forces are taking the war to the enemy. Raids across the country are not just aimed at capturing Saddam but at weakening a host of disparate anti-American groups.

Again it carries risks, notably provoking ordinary Iraqis.

"It's a question of what price you're prepared to pay," said Denison. "If you want aggressive operations pursuing major operatives you will need a lot of people out and about and you will be stirring a lot of hornets' nests.

"Either you go back to basic ideas of force protection, like in Bosnia, or you say it's better to tolerate an increased risk of casualties for a limited period of time and hope you can break the back of the opposition...It's a dilemma."

The U.S. capacity to go on seems substantial. For now.

"Opinions polls show Americans believe the hardest part is yet to come. I still think there's a reservoir of patience, a willingness to see this through," said Denison.

"You could have a rule of thumb of six months and a thousand deaths," he said. "Perhaps in the fall, they will want to see things looking better, with reconstruction...Otherwise, it could start to be a serious problem for George Bush."

With an eye on the daily reports of attacks, he concluded: "A long, hot, bloody summer may be acceptable."

(Additional reporting by Stefano Ambrogi in London, Paul Carrel in Paris and Philip Blenkinsop in Berlin)War blog home

Yahoo! News - World Photos - APU.S. Army troops from the 4th brigade, 1st field artillery 1st A.D., inspect the damage caused by an unidentified remote controlled bomb injuring two soldiers, Thursday, July 31, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq . (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

The Associated Press
7/31/03 9:06 AM


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- An American soldier was killed Thursday when his armored personnel carrier hit a land mine on the dangerous road from central Baghdad to the city's airport.

It was the second death reported Thursday by the U.S. military, after a soldier was killed in a small-arms fire attack northeast of Baghdad late Wednesday.

Three U.S. soldiers also were wounded when the mine exploded underneath an M113 armored personnel carrier, the U.S. military said in Baghdad.

The deaths brought to 51 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1. So far, 166 American forces have been killed in the Iraq war, 19 more than in the 1991 Gulf War.

The assault late Wednesday against soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division happened 25 miles east of Baqouba, where U.S. troops have come under repeated assault recently, especially by mortar fire.

NOLA.com: War on Iraq

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. soldier was killed and three were wounded when their M-113 armored personnel carrier hit a landmine in Baghdad today, according to an e-mailed statement from the U.S. military Central Command.

It happened at about 12:20 p.m. Baghdad time on the main highway near the capital's airport, Agence France-Presse reported.

A U.S. soldier was killed and two were wounded yesterday in an attack in central Iraq, the U.S. Central Command said in a separate statement today. The soldiers, members of the 4th Infantry Division, were attacked by small arms fire near Ba'qubah, a town about 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad.

Bloomberg.com: U.S.

Yahoo! News - World Photos - AP
A U.S. Army soldier from the 4th brigade, 1st field artillery 1st A.D., stops a car reminding the driver that he needs to remove his window tint or the car will be confiscated under coalition military law, Thursday, July 31, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

US soldiers block a street in Baghdad during a raid. A US soldier was killed and two wounded by small arms fire at a base northeast of the capital(AFP/File/Joseph Barrak) Yahoo! News - Mideast Photos - AFP

Israel weighs troop pullout from 2 towns: "Israel is proposing a troop pullout from two more Palestinian towns in the wake of meetings between the two sides' leaders and President Bush, officials said Wednesday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. changes tactics in violent Iraq city: "Faced with almost daily attacks, the U.S. Army has come up with some unorthodox policies to placate Fallujah - handing over security to the locals, compensating people for homes damaged in raids and paying blood money to the families of American-inflicted casualties."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Powell: Saddam Is 'Piece of Trash' to Be Collected: "Secretary of State Colin Powell onWednesday called former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "a piece oftrash waiting to be collected" but declined to say how long itmay take U.S. forces to find him. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq welcomes back refugees and greets first Governing Council president: "Aspiring to leave behind the anarchy of the post-war era, Iraq's Governing Council named its first president as a group of Iraqi refugees who languished 12 years in a Saudi camp returned home. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Judge: Ex-POWs Cannot Access Iraqi Assets: "Assets seized from the Iraqi government cannot be used to compensate 17 Americans held captive in Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US forces getting "closer" in hunt for Saddam: Bush: "Constantly on the move, his famous moustached face probably hidden behind a new beard, trusting only in the uncertain kindness of clansmen as US forces bear down on him, the once powerful Saddam Hussein is a mistake away from being captured, US officials said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Progress Being Made on Capturing Saddam, Bush Says: "President Bush said on Wednesday hedid not know how close American forces were to capturing oustedIraqi President Saddam Hussein but added that progress had beenmade. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Coalition offers Iraqis 10,000 dollars for information on attacks: "The US-led coalition occupying Iraq announced it would offer a reward of 10,000 dollars to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of people who carry out acts of sabotage or are plotting such attacks. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iranian VP says journalist was murdered: "An Iranian-Canadian journalist who died in police custody this month was murdered, Iran's vice president said Wednesday in the first official admission that Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Reconstruction to cost $7.3 billion this year in IraqWar.info



Iraq operations providing intelligence on al-Qaeda: Myers: "US operations in Iraq are providing "very good intelligence" on the al-Qaeda terror network, US military chief General Richard Myers said during a brief visit to Afghanistan. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



The New "War on Terror": "Maureen Dowd nails the Bushies today. Attacking Paul Wolfowitz's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she zeroes in on the same thing that galled me about his appearance on "Meet the Press": Brazening out the failure to find..."

In The Iraq War Reader