--------------------
U.S., Iraqi Forces Break Up Rebel Camp
--------------------

Three soldiers and 17 insurgents are killed south of Baghdad in a battle that began after troops followed a tip about a weapons cache.

By Doug Smith
Times Staff Writer

April 6 2005

BAGHDAD; U.S. and Iraqi forces overran an insurgent encampment in a fierce overnight battle east of the capital, military officials said Tuesday.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,1838776.story

--------------------
Power Struggles Stall Iraqi Provincial Councils
--------------------

National Assembly is finally moving forward, but some local bodies are caught up in bitter and sometimes bloody political rivalries.

By Edmund Sanders
Times Staff Writer

April 6 2005

BAGHDAD; As Iraq's National Assembly gathers today to name a president after weeks of political squabbling, less publicized post-election battles are still raging at the local level in several of the nation's 18 provinces.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

Iraqi government starts to take shape
The protracted deadlock had begun to infuriate the public and showed
signs of buoying a tenacious insurgency. By Howard Lafranchi
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0407/p01s04-woiq.html?s=hns

Evolution in Iraq's insurgency
Attacks on US troops are down 22 percent since January, but some are
more sophisticated. By Jill Carroll
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0407/p06s01-woiq.html?s=hns

Large Blast Hits Bus Carrying Iraqi Soldiers:

Three Killed, at Least 44 Wounded
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...9-2005Apr5.html

http://snipurl.com/duys

US soldier killed in Baghdad ambush
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1339610.htm


US troops hinder Iraq's stabilisation claims MPs' report :

The House of Commons foreign affairs committee said the slow pace of reconstruction had fuelled the insurgency, and suggested Iraq had replaced Afghanistan as a training ground for international terrorists.
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=361512005


Prisoners and guards injured as Iraqi detainees riot:

Twelve Iraqi prisoners and four US prison guards were wounded when inmates rioted at Camp Bucca last week, torching tents and hurling rocks at Iraq's largest US-run detention center, the US military said yesterday after initially denying any knowledge of the incident.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/arch...4/06/2003249355

Half of Americans say Bush deliberately misled about Iraq:

For the first time since the war in Iraq was launched in spring of 2003, more people than not, or half of all Americans, said the Bush administration deliberately misled the American public about alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll released on Wednesday.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Lan...=en&DSNO=720764

http://snipurl.com/duyw

Green Card Soldiers: 30,000 U.S. military troops not citizens:

There are still about 30,000 active duty and 11,000 Guard and Reserve personnel in the military who are not U.S. citizens
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8480.htm

http://snipurl.com/duyx

Handoff to Local Forces Being Tested in Mosul

By Steve Fainaru

MOSUL, Iraq -- The two dozen Iraqi soldiers marched in formation into downtown Mosul, streets emptying in their path. The men trained their rifles on potential bomb threats: a donkey-drawn vegetable cart, a blue Opel sedan, a man with a bulge beneath his tattered gray coat.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?Stor...06-023135-9747r

Analysis: Jaafari tipped as Iraq's next PM

http://www.antiwar.com/engelhardt/?articleid=5487

Faking Civil Society
Tom Engelhardt and Jonathan Schell

http://seven.com.au/news/worldnews/175996

Blix says war motivated by oil

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11327248.htm

Ethnic tensions in Kirkuk dangerously high, raising fears of civil war

http://menewsline.com/stories/2005/april/04_07_1.html

Al Qaida Uses Iraq as Safe Haven

Pepe Escobar : What's behind the new Iraq :

It's emerging that the real meaty matters in Iraq - federalism, who gets oil-rich Kirkuk, and, crucially, what happens to the oil industry overall - will be settled by the constituent assembly. But two developments are ominous.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8482.htm

http://snipurl.com/dvqz

US fears civil war in Kirkuk :

American officers have warned that giving all senior positions to the Kurds in Kirkuk would lead to rioting by the Arab and Turkomen communities.
http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/317774.asp

An Old U.S. Foe Rises Again in Iraq

By Anthony Shadid

GHARAF, Iraq -- Over the loudspeakers set up in this small town in a backwater of southern Iraq, the commands came in staccato bursts. "Forward!" a man clad in black shouted to the militiamen. "March!"

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

--------------------
After Weeks of Arguing, Iraq's New Premier Named
--------------------

Conservative Shiite Ibrahim Jafari is expected to form a Cabinet this month.

By Edmund Sanders
Times Staff Writer

April 8 2005

BAGHDAD; Iraq's new Kurdish president named a fellow foe of Saddam Hussein as prime minister Thursday, appointing Ibrahim Jafari, the leader of Iraq's oldest Shiite Muslim party, to the powerful post.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

--------------------
Amid Mutterings, New Premier Takes Bow
--------------------

By Doug Smith
Times Staff Writer

April 8 2005

BAGHDAD; A few Shiite Muslim members of Iraq's National Assembly were miffed and may have suspected betrayal Thursday as Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani delivered his presidential inaugural address.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

--------------------
Projects in Iraq to Be Reevaluated
--------------------

State Department faults use of U.S. firms for the reconstruction effort and announces it will shift some money to job creation for locals.

By T. Christian Miller
Times Staff Writer

April 9 2005

WASHINGTON; The State Department has ordered a major reevaluation of the troubled $18.4-billion Iraq reconstruction effort, blaming problems on early decisions to hire U.S. firms for major infrastructure projects.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,4376370.story

http://www.antiwar.com/engelhardt/?articleid=5506

The Real Iraqi Election
Mark Danner and Tom Engelhardt

http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentat...sp?story=626452

Michael Meacher: America is usurping the democratic will in Iraq

Models of Occupation:
Israel is the Key to Bush's Iraq Strategy
http://www.counterpunch.com/gordon04082005.html

Tens of Thousands of Iraqis Demand U.S. Withdrawal

By Anthony Shadid

BAGHDAD, April 9 -- Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims loyal to militant cleric Moqtada Sadr on Saturday surged into the Baghdad square where the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled two years ago, demanding a timetable for the U.S. military's withdrawal from Iraq, release of their leaders jailed by American forces and a speedy trial for Hussein.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/internat...ast/10iraq.html

Demonstrators in Iraq Demand That US Leave

Baghdad: Hundreds Of Thousands Protest American Invasion and Occupation Of Iraq:

“The American people need to know that they can’t suppress us anymore, even with all their strength and power,”
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8487.htm

http://snipurl.com/dxh0

Iraqi Girl Blog: Baghdad Burning: Protesters in the thousands.

None of the news channels were actually covering it.
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2005_04_...307454974312560

http://snipurl.com/dxh2

In Pictures:

Iraqi's Protest Against American Occupation
http://snipurl.com/dxh3

29 killed in Iraq violence:

On Saturday, violence against Iraqi security forces and civilians killed 29 and wounded scores more in separate incidents.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...0-4-2005_pg7_34

http://snipurl.com/dxh4

Iraqi police officer killed, one kidnapped:

Iraqi police officials say an officer was killed Sunday and another was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in al-Haditha, in the western section of Iraq.
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/2005...72740-5126r.htm

http://snipurl.com/dxh5

Zarqawi 'rejects amnesty offer' :

President Jalal Talabani was an agent of the US, it said, and he would never be forgiven for his "infidelity" and "spilling of the blood of Muslims".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4430579.stm

Militants in Iraq kidnap Pakistani diplomat
http://snipurl.com/dxh6

TV news buries Iraqi civilian deaths :

During the last three weeks, television news -- cable and network -- have spent more time on the dying and deaths of two individuals than they have on all the civilian Iraqi casualties since the beginning of the war.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8501.htm

http://snipurl.com/dxh7

US 'smuggles wounded troops home' under cover of darkness:

Just as the Bush administration has banned the media from taking photographs of the coffins of American troops killed in Iraq as they arrive in the US, opponents say it is now trying to cover up the number of wounded.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8498.htm

http://snipurl.com/dxh8

The horror: Iraq coverage just like Vietnam:

For anyone raised on the press-release war waged by the Johnson and Nixon administrations, this was familiar indeed.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/oped/ci_2648674

Baghdad protest demands an end to US occupation of Iraq World Socialist Web Site

Some Fear Loss of Women's Rights in Iraq
Updated 7:27 PM ET April 25, 2005

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr..._050410&src=abc

Dr. Raja al-Kusai worked as a gynecologist for 26 years. Now, as a member of the national assembly helping write the nation's constitution, she is fighting for women's political and social rights.

"We need to bring all the women to be ... just one unit," she said, "and, you know, to fight for their rights."

Kusai wants the new Iraqi constitution to treat men and women as equals, but others want to put tighter controls on women's rights in the tradition of Islamic law, known as sharia.

Historically, Iraq has been one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East when it comes to women's rights. The first female Arab judge, government minister and university professor all were Iraqi.

'Things to Be Afraid Of'
After the U.S.-led invasion, women protested when Shiite politicians tried to overturn laws protecting women's rights in marriage, divorce and inheritance.

Those men, however, now have a leading role in the new government, and many women fear sharia will be codified in the new constitution.

"There are so many things to be afraid of," said Thikra Faisal, a member of the Organization of Women's Freedom. "Even educated women would be overseen by men. There would be no equality."

Kusai's efforts to mobilize women in the assembly is made more difficult because many of those women want Islamic law to be the basis of the constitution, including Dr. Jinan al-Ubaidy, a member of the national assembly and the religious party the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

"What we want is that the constitution will respect Islam, and no rules will be against Islam," Ubaidy said.

Men would be allowed up to four wives. A woman would need to write into her marriage contract her right to work. Women would inherit only half what male relatives receive -- though they would still be able to drive cars, vote and even be members of parliament.

"This is part of Islam," Ubaidy said.

The new government is finally taking shape, and Ubaidy believes women on all sides will somehow find common ground.

Iraqis Try Again to Form New Government

Updated 1:22 PM ET April 25, 2005
By SAMEER N. YACOUB

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...89mieq00&src=ap

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi politicians, pressured by the United States, tried again Monday to end a nearly three-month deadlock over forming a new transitional government, with insurgents emboldened by the impasse launching well-coordinated weekend attacks that killed 29.

Three road bombs aimed at U.S. military convoys exploded in the capital Monday, including one in western Baghdad that killed an American soldier, said Army Lt. Col. Clifford Kent.

Another roadside bomb hit a convoy in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing one American soldier and wounding two, the U.S. military said. Iraqi police said two civilians also were wounded.

At least 1,569 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.....

Sunnis Drop Demand for Iraq's New Cabinet

Updated 6:41 PM ET April 25, 2005
By JAMIE TARABAY

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...89mn46g0&src=ap

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sunni Muslim politicians dropped their demand Monday to include former members of Saddam Hussein's party in Iraq's new Cabinet in a bid to get more ministries. The Sunni minority is believed to be the backbone of the insurgency and many blame the impasse in forming a new government for a resurgence in violence.

The development comes as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, joined by other top U.S. officials, is trying to persuade politicians from the Shiite majority and their Kurdish allies to wrap up negotiations to form a new government.

"We're going to continue to say it is important to keep momentum in the political process," Rice told reporters in Crawford, Texas, on Monday. "It's a two-way street," she said.

As leaders of Iraq's main Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions continued their backroom wheeling and dealing, Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari again put off his long-promised Cabinet announcement.

The National Dialogue Council, a coalition of 10 Sunni factions, initially requested 16 Cabinet seats. It submitted a list of candidates Sunday that included former members of Saddam's Baath party, said Jawad al-Maliki, a senior member of al-Jaafari's United Iraqi Alliance. But when that was rejected, they dropped the demand, he told reporters.

Alliance members, who control 148 seats in the 275-member National Assembly, refuse to give any top posts to members of the party that carried out Saddam's brutal suppression of the Shiites and Kurds.

The issue is just one of many obstacles that have bogged down negotiations since the Jan. 30 parliamentary elections. Most Sunnis either boycotted the vote or stayed away for fear of being attacked.

Al-Jaafari could present his Cabinet to parliament as soon as Tuesday, some alliance members said. But such forecasts have repeatedly proven wrong.

Al-Jaafari has had to balance demands by his predecessor, Ayad Allawi, for at least four ministries for his party, including a senior government post and a deputy premiership. Much of the discussion has focused on the Defense Ministry, which all agree should go to a Sunni, but which Allawi has argued should go to one from his Iraqi List party.

On Sunday, alliance lawmakers said al-Jaafari had decided to abandon attempts to include Allawi's party and offer Sunni representatives two more Cabinet seats, for a total of six.

Members of the Iraqi List, which controls 40 parliamentary seats, said the party had not been officially informed of the development.

"I don't see how it can be a national unity government without our participation," Iraqi List legislator Hussein al-Sadr said.

If Allawi's party is excluded, a spokesman for the Sunni coalition, Khalaf al-Aryan, said it would insist on at least seven ministries plus a deputy premiership. "If Allawi does take part, we'll negotiate and take less," he said.

Further complicating negotiations, a rival Sunni coalition entered the fray Monday, saying it too should have a place in the Cabinet. The Council of Arab and Sunni Negotiators and the National Dialogue Council both include groups that boycotted the elections and could help open talks with insurgents.

With attacks on the increase, there has been intense pressure to end the political bickering and form a government that can take charge of efforts to suppress the violence.

Rice telephoned Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdish Democratic Party, on Friday to ask him to finish forming a government as soon as possible, two State Department officials said Monday.

Shiite lawmakers have accused some of their Kurdish allies of stalling negotiations in a bid to force out al-Jaafari, who automatically loses his position if he fails to form a government by May 7. Some Kurdish legislators want a more secular prime minister and one who favors a federal government that would give strong autonomy to the Kurdish north.

Rice also met at the White House Friday with Adil Abdul Mahdi, a Shiite politician who is slated to be one of Iraq's new vice presidents, one official said. Rice conveyed the message that the Bush administration wanted to see a government formed quickly.

Many here argue the political vacuum has emboldened the insurgency.

"The political situation has a real effect on the security situation," President Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, told Al-Arabiya television Monday. "If we reach a government that includes Sunni representatives, we will see an end to the insurgency from Sunnis."

But others say the ebb and flow of attacks has more to do with the level of security in the country. Attacks surged in the runup to the Jan. 30 elections, but faded as new restrictions came into effect and extra forces appeared in the streets, said Diaa Rashwan, an expert on radical Islam at Egypt's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

Three roadside bombs aimed at U.S. military convoys exploded in the capital Monday, including one that killed an American soldier, said Lt. Col. Clifford Kent of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. At least 1,569 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The U.S. military said a suicide car bomb exploded Monday in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, wounding two civilians, and a 20-year-old Iraqi died at a U.S. military hospital of injuries he suffered two weeks ago while attacking coalition forces.

Militants also launched two attacks Monday aimed at Iraq's oil industry in the north, setting fire to pumps near Kirkuk and opening fire on police guarding a convoy of tanker trucks. Two policemen were wounded and three insurgents arrested in a gunbattle over the convoy, police said.

Ministers braced to defend action if legal advice is leaked Guardian Unlimited

Weapons Inspector Ends WMD Search in Iraq

Updated 9:01 AM ET April 26, 2005

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...89n3ne80&src=ap

By KATHERINE SHRADER

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wrapping up his investigation into Saddam Hussein's purported arsenal, the CIA's top weapons hunter in Iraq said his search for weapons of mass destruction "has been exhausted" without finding any.

Nor did Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, find any evidence that such weapons were shipped officially from Iraq to Syria to be hidden before the U.S. invasion, but he couldn't rule out some unofficial transfer of limited WMD-related materials.

He closed his effort with words of caution about potential future threats and careful assessment of this and other unanswered questions.

The Bush administration justified its 2003 invasion of Iraq as necessary to eliminate Hussein's purported stockpile of WMD.

"As matters now stand, the WMD investigation has gone as far as feasible," Duelfer wrote in an an addendum to the report he issued last fall. "After more than 18 months, the WMD investigation and debriefing of the WMD-related detainees has been exhausted."

In 92 pages posted online Monday evening, Duelfer provided a final look at an investigation that, at its peak, occupied more than 1,000 military and civilian translators, weapons specialists and other experts. His latest addenda conclude a roughly 1,500-page report released last fall.

Among warnings sprinkled throughout the new documents, one concludes that Saddam's programs created a pool of weapons experts, many of whom will be seeking work. While most will probably turn to the "benign civil sector," the danger remains that "hostile foreign governments, terrorists or insurgents may seek Iraqi expertise."

"Because a single individual can advance certain WMD activities, it remains an important concern," one addendum said.

Another addendum noted that military forces in Iraq may continue to find small numbers of degraded chemical weapons _ most likely misplaced or improperly destroyed before 1991. In an insurgent's hands, "the use of a single even ineffectual chemical weapon would likely cause more terror than deadlier conventional explosives," the addendum said.

And still another said the survey group found some potential nuclear-related equipment was "missing from heavily damaged and looted sites." Yet, because of deteriorating security in Iraq, the survey group was unable to determine what happened to the equipment, which also had alternate civilian uses.

"Some of it probably has been sold for its scrap value. Other pieces might have been disassembled" and converted into motors or condensers, an addendum said. "Still others could have been taken intact to preserve their function."

Leaving the door to the investigation open just a crack, a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a small team still operates under the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq, although the survey group officially disbanded earlier this month. Those staying on continue to examine documents and follow up any reports of weapons of mass destruction.

In a statement accompanying the final installment, Duelfer said any surprise discovery would be most likely in the biological weapons area because facilities and other clues would be comparatively small.

Among unanswered questions, Duelfer said a group formed to investigate whether WMD-related material was shipped out of Iraq before the invasion wasn't able to reach firm conclusions because the security situation halted its work. Investigators were focusing on transfers from Iraq to Syria.

The questioning of Iraqis did not produce any information to support the transfer possibility, one addendum said. The Iraq Survey Group believes "it was unlikely that an official transfer of WMD material from Iraq to Syria took place. However, ISG was unable to rule out unofficial movement of limited WMD-related materials."

TopItalians slam US shooting report CNN International

Chalabi Named Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq

Updated 6:19 PM ET April 28, 2005
By JAMIE TARABAY

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...89om3580&src=ap

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Thwarted in his bid to be Iraq's leader, one-time Pentagon favorite Ahmad Chalabi has nevertheless captured a key position in the new government _ a deputy prime minister's spot and temporary control of the lucrative oil ministry.

With his nephew also installed as finance minister, Chalabi and his family appear to have a firm grip on the country's purse strings.

Once Saddam Hussein's most visible opponent in exile, Chalabi, 60, is now tasked with overseeing the world's second-largest proven crude reserves until a permanent chief is found. Oil is the country's only major source of export earnings, crucial to rebuilding Iraq's devastated economy.

It was a spectacular comeback for the Shiite Arab lawmaker, who fell out of favor with Washington over accusations he leaked intelligence to Iran and supplied flawed evidence that Saddam was hoarding weapons of mass destruction....

Chalabi's standing with Iraqis was tenuous when he returned home in 2003 under the patronage of the United States. Using a private militia, he took over an exclusive social club in an affluent Baghdad suburb and made it the headquarters for the Iraqi National Congress, the anti-Saddam movement he headed in exile.

Since then, Iraqi security forces have raided his offices and militants shot at his convoy.

Chalabi's return from political exile began to take shape when he volunteered to mediate a truce with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militia battled U.S. troops in two separate rebellions last year. Left out of the interim government by then U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer, Chalabi decided to build his support base among other Shiites.

Chalabi promised that if he became prime minister, he would drop murder charges against al-Sadr. He also spearheaded a drive against members of the former regime who had returned to positions in the interim government.

Some members of the interim legislature said they were prepared to give Chalabi the benefit of the doubt. But "if there is evidence that all the accusations are right, our stand will change," Qandil said.

The outgoing government is bedeviled by allegations of corruption within its ranks. With fresh elections slated before the end of the year, analysts warn some incoming officials could be tempted to use their short time in office for maximum financial gain......

ANOTHER VOTE ON IRAQ WAR FUNDING

The $81 billion Supplemental Appropriation Bill for continuation of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was passed in the Senate with changes from the House version. It will now go to House-Senate Conference Committee and then back to the House for another vote. Mike Brownlee, Cong. Michaud's aide informs that the current time line is; this week conferees will be appointed in the House; Senate is on break next week, so he thought 2 weeks hence the revote would happen. However, nothing is for certain especially since Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld want this by First of May so we should act now!

We must let Rep. Allen and Michaud know that we expect them to vote against this War bill this time. Tel #'s Allen: 202-225-6116 in DC; 774-5019 in Portland Michaud 202-225-6306 in DC (ask for Mike Brownlee); 942-6935 in Bangor

Important points:

- This version of the Bill puts back about 200 - 300 Million Dollars to build huge US Embassy in Baghdad. It was voted out of the bill in the House of Reps in the first version; Senate put it back in.

- This version contains money to build US bases in Iraq. Language fudges about whether or not bases are permanent.

- This Supplemental, like all supplementals, allows Pentagon to get this money without it being charged to the Budget (it's still our tax money folks-- no matter how they "cook the books")

- Other items in the Supplemental such as the immigration items, tsunami victims, US licenses, etc., etc., is just deliberate "candy" items so that Congresspeople wouldn't dare vote against the Bill.

We are not fooled! Our message should be, "JUST SAY NO." We want our money back here; we want our sons and daughters back here -- no excuses about terrorist havens, theocratic governments, threats to security- we will not be ruled by fear. Iraq belongs to Iraqis to do as they please with their oil and their government. As for terrorists the US is the terrorist!!!


Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 729-0517
(207) 319-2017 (Cell phone)
globalnet@mindspring.com
http://www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com (Our blog)

* See also: NucNews Links and Archives (by date) at http://nucnews.net * (Posted for educational and research purposes only, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107) *

Myers: Iraq, Afghan Wars Strain Military

Updated 6:39 PM ET May 3, 2005
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...89rvrdo0&src=ap

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. military may not be able to win any new wars as quickly as planned because the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have strained its manpower and resources, the nation's top military officer told Congress in a classified report. ....

Myers predicted the risk would go down in a year or two, the official said. Myers provided the report to Congress on Monday.

Still, the report says the U.S. military is able to win any conflict it becomes involved in, said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman....

Among the most likely conflicts the Pentagon foresees in the near term are with North Korea and Iran, the two remaining members of President Bush's "axis of evil." .....

About 138,000 American troops are in Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command. Another 18,000 are in Afghanistan.

Military officials have given no precise estimate when they will be able to significantly draw down the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, but some generals have suggested it could come next year if Iraqi security forces continue to improve in quality and grow in numbers.

US cannot account for spending of nearly $100 million in Iraq

Abu Ghraib scandal points to conspiracy at the highest levels Portsmouth Herald News

And Bush calls this democracy???/

May 13, 12:08 PM EDT
Iraq Renews State of Emergency for Month

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRA...MPLATE=home.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq announced Friday it has renewed its state of emergency for another 30 days following two weeks of insurgent-led violence that killed hundreds of people.

The emergency decree, which has been renewed monthly since first being imposed Nov. 7, includes a nighttime curfew and gives the government extra powers to make arrests without warrants and launch police and military operations when it deems necessary......

US generals say Iraq outlook 'bleak' Christian Science Monitor

Trains of Mousl resumed their operation by triple journeys weekly


The Iraqi General Company of Railways resumed operation of passengers' trains to Mousl after ending maintenance of this line in this sector.


Salam Jaber the general manager of this company announced that, and he also added, these journeys would be three times weekly, whereas departure's time of trains to Mousl, from Central Station, at 9 O'clock a.m. each Saturday and return from Mousl at 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
On other part, the company's workers continued maintenance, refurbishing and improving rail lines in order to operate passengers' trains in other sectors.
The source: Aldistoor