HUGE SPIKE IN VIOLENCE IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: ARMY SPC. JEREMY RIDDLE FROM ARLINGTON, TEXAS BEGINS THE LONG ROAD OF REHABILITATION

There has been a massive increase in violence in both Iraq and Afghanistan as the following report clearly indicates.

But we lead off with the story of Army Spc. Jordan Riddle, Arlington, Texas a veteran of the Iraq war and his battle at trying to rehabilitate himself following horrendous injuries sustained when he was injured in Iraq.

Army Spc. Jordan Riddle, Arlington, Texas returned from Iraq about 40 pounds lighter and with no memory of the January explosion that almost took his life. Members of Riddle's unit were clearing houses of Sunni insurgents in Sinsil on Jan. 9 when a booby-trapped home exploded, killing six soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter, said Riddle's sister Shannon Murphy. But the explosion blew Riddle backward, and a block of concrete landed on top of him. Murphy said she was told by an another injured soldier from the unit that the block covered her brother from his chin to his lower legs."It took 20 men and two Stryker vehicles to get that thing off of him," Riddle said he will spend another six months recuperating from his injuries. The blast and concrete collapsed both his lungs, broke his right arm in several places, tore flesh from his abdomen and burned his face.

WHILE RIDDLE SLOWLY WORKS TO REHABILITATE HIMSELF, THE WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN CONTINUES WITH MORE CASUALTIES AND MORE CIVILIAN DEATHS

THE FOLLOWING DEATHS, MAYHEM AND VIOLENCE ARE ALL PART OF WAR TORN LANDSCAPE OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2008

War News for Wednesday, March 12, 2008

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a U.S. Soldier in an improvised explosive device attack in near Ad Diwaniyah on Monday, March 11th. Two other soldier were wounded in the attack.

The Canadian DND is reporting the death of a soldier who was found dead in an accommodation room, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on Monday, March 11th. No further details are available at this time, although enemy action has been ruled out. Here's the ISAF statement

Baghdad:#1: A roadside bomb went off in the Amin neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, killed two civilians and wounded ten others, including dustmen, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The blast, apparently, missed a U.S. patrol which has just passed the scene, the source said.

#2-4: Three more roadside bombs went off near U.S. patrols in areas of Talbiyah, Shaab and Taji in northern Baghdad, the source said. There was no word on casualties among the U.S. soldiers as the troops immediately cordoned off the areas, he said. The U.S. military has not confirmed the attack on its patrols yet.

#2: Around 10:10 am, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Shaab neighborhood (north Baghdad) towards the industrial area. No casualties reported.

#3: Around 9 am, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol near Talbia Bridge towards Shaab neighborhood (north Baghdad).No casualties reported.

#4: Around 9:15 am, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Taji near Baghdad’s north gate .No casualties reported.

#5: In a separate incident, five civilians were injured when a roadside bomb exploded at about 07:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) in Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad, he said.

#6: Meanwhile, three civilians were wounded when three mortar rounds landed on Baghdad's northern neighborhood of the al-Shaab, the source said.

#7: Three mortars landed in Baghdad's Green Zone, but details of casualties were not available, police said.

#8: Around 10 am, an American patrol defused a roadside bomb at Saidiyah neighborhood (south Baghdad) near Imam Ali mosque.

Diyala Prv:#1: Police found one dead body at one of the orchards in Dali Abass village (east of Baquba)

.#2: Around 2:10 pm, a ten year girl was killed due to clashes took place at Bazaiz Buhrz (10 km south of Baquba) between gunmen and Iraqi army. The girl was in a farm with her aunt when a bullet killed her at once.

Bahraz:#1: The bodies of a man and his wife, who had disappeared earlier on Wednesday, were found in south of Baaquba, a security source said. “A man and his wife were found dead a few hours after being kidnapped by al-Qaeda armed group in Bazayez region in Bahraz district, south of Baaquba,” the source, who wished to be unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq

Kanan:#1: Around 1:50 pm, mortars hit Kanan village targeting Sheikh Tha’r Ghadhban’s funeral (who was killed two days ago) .Four people were injured (including a woman and a child).

#2: Police found a dead body at the way between Kanan –Balad Ruz (20 km east of Baquba).Nasiriya:#1: Update-- one coalition soldier were wounded in the attack about 50 miles from Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.--Dr. Hadi Badr al-Riyahi, head of the Nasiriyah provincial health directorate, confirmed Wednesday that the attack on the bus traveling from Najaf to Basra killed 16 civilians and wounded 20.

Diwaniyah:#1: A U.S. Soldier was killed from injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device during a combat patrol near Ad Diwaniyah March 11. Additionally, two U.S. Soldiers were wounded in the explosion and transported to a Coalition forces medical facility for further evaluation and treatment.

Kut:#1: update from 4 killed--At least 17 people have been killed, including five children, in fire exchang between militants and Iraqi and US forces in the Shiite city of Kut, AFP reported Wednesday. "Seventeen people have been killed, including five children and a female college student. Others are young men," Mamoon Ajil, registrar at Kut's Al-Zahra hospital said.The military said Iraqi forces were patrolling the city on Tuesday when they were attacked by several "enemy fighters" . The Iraqi forces requested assistance from the US forces who provided ground and air support.

Iskandariya:#1: Gunmen opened fire randomly in Iskandiriya town, 50 km north Hilla, leaving two civilian wounded, one of them died from a sustained injury when he arrived at the hospital”, Babel source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq.

Musayyib:#1: gunmen opened fire on a woman standing at her house in Musayyib town, 40 north Hilla, leaving her wounded".

Basra:#1: A senior figure in Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Basra office, Saed al-Haidery, was shot dead in northern Basra, police and Sadrist officials said.

#2: Gunmen shot and killed a former official of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, 550 km (340 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

Samarra:#1: Three fuel truck drivers were killed when three roadside bombs went off near a convoy of seven fuel trucks on the main road near Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. Three trucks were set ablaze.

Baiji:#1: Around 10 am, a policeman was killed by a guard of Baiji mayor based on tribal revenge .A curfew was announced in the city after this incident to control the situation.

Kirkuk:#1: A roadside bomb targeting a local council member near Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, wounded two of his bodyguards, police said.

Mosul:#1: Six fuel trucks were set ablaze and three drivers were wounded on Tuesday when a bomb attached to one of the vehicles detonated, in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Afghanistan:#1: A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, killing a passing civilian and wounding one soldier. An Associated Press reporter at the scene in Kandahar said a Humvee vehicle of the convoy was burned and destroyed. NATO troops cordoned off the area, preventing journalists and police getting near the vehicles. A passing truck driver was killed in the attack, and two civilian passers-by were wounded, said police officer Nematullah Khan.

#2: In other violence, Taliban militants attacked a district administrative compound Tuesday in southern Zabul province, and the ensuing one-hour gunbattle left one Taliban dead and three wounded, said Mizan district chief Mohammad Younus Akhunzada.

#3: A telecommunications tower was set ablaze in western Afghanistan, a police official said Wednesday, the latest such attack since insurgents warned phone companies to shut down the towers at night. Five militants set fire to the generator, fuel tank and antenna of the tower Tuesday night in the Obe district of Herat province, said Raouf Ahmadi, a regional police spokesman. The tower belonged to the Areeba company.

#4: An investigation has been launched after a Canadian soldier was found dead at the main military base in Kandahar. The body of Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet was found Tuesday afternoon in sleeping quarters at the Kandahar Air Field. Ouellet, 22, was with the 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, based in Shilo, Man. "The soldier's death is not related to combat, Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche said in a briefing at the air field, 12 hours after Ouellet's body was found.

#5: Two women and two children have been killed during a NATO operation against suspected Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan, the alliance says.