Two US Soldiers Killed, One injured at Kirkuk
Guerrillas near Kirkuk fired on a US patrol with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns late Saturday, killing two US soldiers and wounding a third. 103 US troops have been killed by enemy fire since May 1. In Hawija, a US convoy came under fire and returned it, killing 3 Iraqis. In Falluja, guerrillas attacked a US convoy and hit the ammunition truck. The thing went off like a fireworks display. Six Iraqis were wounded. Falluja crowds chanted, “Falluja has destroyed the Americans,” and some wire services alleged that they showed support for both Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. In Baquba, guerrillas detonated a roadside bomb before US vehicles could get there, hitting instead an Iraqi police convoy. One Iraqi was killed and 19 were wounded. A letter from Saddam surfaced, dated October 9, calling on tribal forces in Iraq to lash out at the Americans. The Coalition is making plans to withdraw US troops from cities like Basra, Mosul and even Baghdad. The US wants to turn many secuirty duties over to Iraqi police as soon as possible.