Iraq: Sixteen Killed By Insurgents
Rebel fighters have repeatedly attacked the cities of Baghdad and Baquba between Monday and Tuesday, killing at least 16 people. Ten Iraqi National Guards were among the victims, as well as a US soldier.
On Tuesday afternoon a suicide bomber attacked a US military convoy in the central Tayaran Square in Baghdad,
killing one American soldier and three other people. A military spokesman confirmed the death toll later and said also that 50 civillians were injured in the same attack.
During the morning, says CNN, a string of drive-by shooting attacks killed ten Iraqi policemen and wounded six others. This series of attacks took place between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning (14:30 and 16:30 Washington Time).
A Shiite mosque near the capital was targeted by mortar rounds on Tuesday. Two civillians died and four others were wounded. A US troop, assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed on Monday by small rifle wounds received during a combat operation in Ramadi, as the US military bulletin reported.
Iranian BombsMeanwhile,
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld announced that some of the bombs that the insurgents were using were made in Iran. Even if Rumsfeld avoided theorizing a full involvment of Teheran's government in the issue, he seemed to be sure about the source of the bombs: "clearly, unambiguously from Iran."
"It's notably unhelpful for Iranians to be letting those weapons cross the border," he added, underlining how these new bombs are far more powerful than any possible "handcrafted" grenades or explosives the insurgents were frabricating by themselves.
Major of Baghdad Fired
Alaa al-Timimi was fired as the Major of the capital by the provisional council on Monday. Ex- provincial governor Hussein al-Tahaan will replace him temporarily, until another Major can be elected. Al-Timimi will resign on Wednesday in front of the Council of Ministries.
CNNALSO IN BLOGGERNEWS
Il Romanaccio at 11:02 AM
