17 Killed In Iraq Including 2 Us

17 Killed in Iraq, including 2 US Troops

The guerrilla war rolled along on Saturday, claiming at least 17 victims dead and more wounded.

Guerrillas detonated a bomb in the eastern city of Baquba, killing 7 persons, including police, and wounding 5. Guerrillas assassinated a policeman in southern Baghdad. Police were also killed in violent incidents in Kirkuk, Tuz, and Baiji. A bomb near Samarra killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded another, and injured 4 civilians.

2 US troops were killed, one in north Baghdad and the other in Tikrit.

Iraqi troops assembled at Mada’in in preparation for an attempt to rescue some 100 Shiite hostages held by Sunni Arab militants.

Patrick Cockburn dismantles claims by the Pentagon brass that Iraq’s guerrilla insurgencey is on the decline.

The Los Angeles Times points out that the new Iraqi government is likely to show greater independence from Washington.

I’d say that the chances the US will get a green light to do another Fallujah-type operations are slim to none. PM Ibrahim Jaafari opposed the spring, 2004, Fallujah campaign.

Iraqi female politicians are pressing Jaafari to appoint more women to head ministries.