YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS: IRAQ CONDEMNS U.S. DEMANDS

Never in the history of the United States as an occupier of a foreign country has the foreign country told the United States what they could and could not do---but Iraq is doing just that and dictating to the United Stats where U.S. troops can go in their country and how many bases the U.S. military can have in Iraq.

Iraqis Condemn American DemandsSides Negotiating U.S. Military Role

By Amit R. Paley and Karen DeYoungWashington Post Foreign ServiceWednesday, June 11, 2008; A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003415.html

BAGHDAD, June 10 -- High-level negotiations over the future role of the U.S. military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, with Iraqi politicians denouncing what they say are U.S. demands to maintain nearly 60 bases in their country indefinitely.

Top Iraqi officials are calling for a radical reduction of the U.S. military's role here after the U.N. mandate authorizing its presence expires at the end of this year. Encouraged by recent Iraqi military successes, government officials have said that the United States should agree to confine American troops to military bases unless the Iraqis ask for their assistance, with some saying Iraq might be better off without them.

"The Americans are making demands that would lead to the colonization of Iraq," said Sami al-Askari, a senior Shiite politician on parliament's foreign relations committee who is close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "If we can't reach a fair agreement, many people think we should say, 'Goodbye, U.S. troops. We don't need you here anymore.' "

MARINE CORP TIMES: MARINE RECRUITING AD ACCUSED OF BEING RACIST: ACCUSES BLACKS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SWIM

Racist recruiting? Ad draws fire

Staff reportPosted : Friday Jun 13, 2008 13:06:25 EDT
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/06/marine_swim_061208w/

The Marine Corps’ newest recruiting commercial aimed at targeting minorities tackles a long-running and often-controversial debate involving black American youth: swimming ability.

Called “Leap,” the commercial shows a young black man standing at a high diving platform overlooking a swimming pool.

“I faced one of the toughest challenges of my life right here,” the narrator says. “I couldn’t swim.”

Encouraged by his drill instructor’s urging not to give up, the man goes for it.
“So I jumped in,” he says. “Unsure, apprehensive and scared out of my mind. But I came up a Marine.”

The man emerges not from a swimming pool, but from open water, in face paint and combat gear. A rubber boat filled with Marines zooms by and pulls the man inside.
Discussion

Do you think this video is racist?
Watch the video

The ad reflects the real-life story of Staff Sgt. Thomas Hill, a senior drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., according to a Marine recruiting Web site, our.marines.com.

Hill volunteered to tell his story when he heard the Corps was looking for ideas for a new commercial, according to the site. “He wants others who approach life the way he did to understand what being a Marine can do for them.”

The popular blog Gawker.com, however, derided the ad as “subtle stereotyping.”

“The Marines send a simple, straightforward message: ‘Hey, black people. We know you can’t swim. That’s okay! We’ll teach you how, and then let you ride in a cool boat, if you just sign up for the Marines now. Okay?’ ”

In 1993, then-Commandant Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. launched a storm of controversy by telling an interviewer on “60 Minutes” that whites outperform blacks in objective military tests, including swimming.

“In the military skills, we find that the minority officers do not shoot as well as the non-minorities… They don’t swim as well. And when you give them a compass and send them across the terrain at night in a land navigation exercise, they don’t do as well at that sort of thing.”

More recently, a retired Army reserve officer running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 was videotaped at a Christian Coalition making similar comments: “I grew up in Alabama and I understand and I know this from my own experiences that blacks aren’t the best swimmers or may not even know how to swim.”

The comments cost Tramm Hudson his shot at winning the Republican nomination for Florida’s 13th District.

TALKS BETWEEN U.S. AND IRAQ ARE AT AN IMPASSE

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain is so out of touch with what is going on in Iraq it borders on senility.

It doesn't mean a damn thing how many "victories" the "surge" is bringing when the U.S. and the Iraqi government can't come to terms on how long U.S. troops should be in Iraq.

This whole mess just keeps getting worse, and the the horrible and pathetic excuse for journalism called the mainstream media in the United States are as much to blame as anyone for misleading the American public and in turning sellout the 160,000 troops in Iraq.

There is not a single reporter in the news business in the United States who has a clue what is going on in Iraq. Not one.

All these meatheads care about is what McCain said about Obama or what Obama said about McCain and mean while while they fiddle around with the mundane topics not even suited for a high school newspaper, the situation in Iraq with the Iraqi government is going from bad to worse.

How in GOD's name these so-called "journalists" can collect a paycheck is beyond this blogger when they wouldn't know a news story if it hit them right between the eyeballs.

The ENTIRE press corps in the United States is a total joke and it is no wonder newspaper circulation is plummeting and nightly news is a laugh while cable news sinks deeper and deeper into tabloidism of the worst kind.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE AND RETIRED REPORTER AND COLUMNIST.


Iraqi PM says security talks with US at impasse

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Friday that talks with the U.S. on a long-term security pact are at an impasse over objections that Iraq's sovereignty is at stake, but he held out hope that negotiators could still reach a compromise.

In his strongest comments yet on the debate, Nouri al-Maliki echoed concern by Iraqi lawmakers that the opening U.S. proposals would give Washington too much political and military leverage on Iraqi affairs. He left open room, however, that a deal could be hammered out.

"The first drafts presented left us at a dead end and deadlock," he told reporters in Amman, Jordan. "So, we left these first drafts and the negotiations will continue with new ideas until the sides reach a formula that preserves Iraq's sovereignty.

Click on link for full story.

TWO MORE GIS KILLED IN IRAQ BRINGS TOTAL TO 14 FOR JUNE

U.S. fatalities in June rise to 14 as 2 soldiers die

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Friday , 13 /06 /2008 Time 12:11:26
http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=82309&NrIssue


Baghdad, Jun 13, (VOI)- Two U.S. soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq, raising the U.S. fatalities in June to 14, the U.S. army said on Friday.

“A Multi-National Force – West Marine died as the result of a non-combat related incident June 11,” the army said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).“The incident is under investigation,” it added.“

A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier was killed from wounds sustained when the Soldier’s vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in west Baghdad at approximately 3:30 p.m. June 12,” the army said in another statement.

The deaths raise the death toll of U.S. troops at 4098 since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.Of this number, 14 troops were killed in June, and 19 in May 2008, the lowest number of U.S. fatalities since the U.S. invasion. A total of 29 soldiers were killed in February 2008, while 40 were killed in January 2008.November 2004, which witnessed fierce battles between U.S. forces and armed groups in Falluja city, Anbar province, remains the month that witnessed the highest U.S. death toll with 137.April 2004 comes second with 135, followed by May 2007 during which 126 U.S. soldiers were killed.

CNN UPDATE: MARINES BOOT ONE MARINE OUT, DISCIPLINE OTHER OVER PUPPY TOSSING: SEE VIDEO PLUS VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine videotaped throwing a puppy over a cliff while on patrol in Iraq has been kicked out of the Corps, and a second Marine involved has been disciplined, according to a statement released by the Marines.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/12/marine.puppy/index.html

Lance Cpl. David Motari, based in Hawaii with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is being "processed for separation" and received non-judicial punishment, officials said in the statement Wednesday night. The Marine Corps would not specify what that punishment was because of privacy regulations.

The statement said Motari received the punishment for his role in the "episode which generated international attention."

The incident appeared on the Internet web site YouTube in March, sparking outrage from animal rights groups around the world.

In the video, Motari is seen throwing the dog off a cliff as it yelps.

A second Marine, San Diego-based Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion, received non-judicial punishment as well.

Attention all readers: Scroll to bottom of this post for late breaking events on this topic.

Who can ever forget the YouTube video of the two Marines tossing a puppy off a cliff in Iraq?

I know this blogger won't. Outside of a video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq, I don't think there was ever a post on this blog that drew more attention. Scroll down to see story and video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq in February.

The puppy tossing video was pulled by YOUTUBE, but we have an uncut version of the puppy tossing event by the two Marines and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

Officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident, which received international attention after a video of it appeared on YouTube.com March 3. Lance Cpl. David Motari is being processed for removal for his role, the Marine Corps said, and Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion also has been punished. The video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff. The dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air. "That's mean. That was mean," someone off-camera is heard saying.

YouTube removed the video about a day after it was posted, "due to terms of use violation," the site said. We, however, have a copy of the video but not from YouTube and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

The Marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced, calling it "shocking and deplorable." Marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation, according to a statement that the Marine Corps Base Hawaii released Wednesday

. #####
And for all those who would again like to see the video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Baghdad, here is the story and video: ANGELINA JOLIE EATS WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ--NEW VIDEO Angelina Jolie took timeout from her humanitarian visit to Iraq Thursday on behalf of the two million displaced Iraqi refugees to eat with the troops inside the Green Zone.

This YouTube video captures Jolie as she eats lunch/dinner and chats with some of the U.S. soldiers deployed to Iraq.More video and aritcles on Angelina Jolie's visit to Baghdad on Thursday can be seen on this blog CORKSPHERE http://corksphere.blogspot.com/. Editor and host, Bill Corcoran.

VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHKQypR2TbE (Just released NEW VIDEO)

######

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED JUNE 12, 1:30 PM FROM THE ZIMBIO WEB SITE:
http://www.zimbio.com/David+Motari
If you go to this site, you will read other blogs, polls, and a reprint of my CORKSPHERE blog.

CNN REPORTS: TWO MARINES DISCIPLINED OVER PUPPY TOSSING INCIDENT. WE HAVE UNCUT VIDEO : PLUS VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH U.S. TROOPS

Attention all readers: Scroll to bottom of this post for late breaking events on this topic.

Who can ever forget the YouTube video of the two Marines tossing a puppy off a cliff in Iraq? I know this blogger won't. Outside of a video of Angelina Jolie eating with U.S. troops in Iraq, I don't think there was ever a post on this blog that drew more attention.

Scroll down to see story and video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Iraq in February.

The video was pulled by YOUTUBE, but we have an uncut version of the puppy tossing event by the two Marines and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

However, the United States Marine Corps has now disciplined the two U.S. Marines involved in the incident and CNN is reporting the story here:

2 Marines disciplined over puppy-tossing video

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/11/marine.puppy/index.html

Story Highlights
Lance Cpl. David Motari faces removal; Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion punished
Video surfaced March 3 on YouTube showing a Marine tossing a puppy over a cliff
The Marines condemned the incident, calling it "shocking and deplorable"

(CNN) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has disciplined two Marines over a videotape that showed a Marine throwing a puppy over a cliff, the military said Wednesday.

Officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident, which received international attention after a video of it appeared on YouTube.com March 3.

Lance Cpl. David Motari is being processed for removal for his role, the Marine Corps said, and Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion also has been punished.

The video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff. The dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air.

"That's mean. That was mean," someone off-camera is heard saying.

YouTube removed the video about a day after it was posted, "due to terms of use violation," the site said.

We, however, have a copy of the video but not from YouTube and you can view it here: http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=463231

The Marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced, calling it "shocking and deplorable."

Marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation, according to a statement that the Marine Corps Base Hawaii released Wednesday.

#####

And for all those who would again like to see the video of ANGELINA JOLIE eating with U.S. troops in Baghdad, here is the story and video:

ANGELINA JOLIE EATS WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ--NEW VIDEO
Angelina Jolie took timeout from her humanitarian visit to Iraq Thursday on behalf of the two million displaced Iraqi refugees to eat with the troops inside the Green Zone.This YouTube video captures Jolie as she eats lunch/dinner and chats with some of the U.S. soldiers deployed to Iraq.More video and aritcles on Angelina Jolie's visit to Baghdad on Thursday can be seen on this blog CORKSPHERE http://corksphere.blogspot.com/. Editor and host, Bill Corcoran.

VIDEO OF ANGELINA JOLIE EATING WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHKQypR2TbE

(Just released NEW VIDEO)

######

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED JUNE 12, 1:30 PM FROM THE ZIMBIO WEB SITE:

http://www.zimbio.com/David+Motari

If you go to this site, you will read other blogs, polls, and a reprint of my CORKSPHERE blog.

PAKISTAN IS TICKED OFF AT US BECAUSE AN AIR STRIKE KILLED 11 OF THEIR SOLDIERS

Pakistan Says US Airstrike Killed 11 of Its Soldiers
Thursday 12 June 2008

by: Carlotta Gall and Graham Bowley, The New York Times
http://www.truthout.org/article/pakistan-says-us-airstrike-killed-11-its-soldiers

Pakistani villagers carry a coffin of a Pakistan paramilitary soldier who lost his life during a clash at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Wednesday, June 11, 2008. Pakistan's army has accused the US-led coalition of killing 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops in an airstrike along the Afghan border. (Photo: AP / Moahammad Sajjad)

Islamabad, Pakistan - The Pakistani Army broadly condemned on Wednesday what it said was an airstrike by United States-led coalition forces that killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary soldiers during a clash with Afghan troops on the border with Afghanistan late Tuesday.

Calling the airstrike "unprovoked and cowardly," the Pakistani military said the deaths "hit at the very basis of cooperation" in the battle against terrorism, according to an army statement quoted by news agencies. "Such acts of aggression do not serve the common cause of fighting terrorism," it said.

IF "WE" ARE "SUCCEEDING" IN IRAQ AS McCAIN SAYS, THEN WHY IS ALL THIS HAPPENING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN?

Republican candidate for President John McCain was on the NBC "Today" show on Wednesday and again he repeated the LIE that we are succeeding in Iraq. Does McCain read reports like this or this just another piece of evidence he doesn't want to look at?

There are more U.S. casualties in Iraq and there are more incidents of violence in Iraq and Afghanistan and we document them here just to prove out of touch Sen. John McCain is with what is REALLY happening in Iraq and Afghanistan:

SOURCE: http://warnewstoday.blogspot.com/

Casualty Reports:

Spc. 4 Kenneth E. Harker, 23, a member of the U.S. Army's 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Polk, La. left leg has been amputated below the knee, his broken right leg is in a cast, and he sustained shrapnel wounds in his left arm, facial cuts and a broken nose. The blast killed one of the three soldiers in the Humvee and also injured the driver, he said. he was injured, the result of the Humvee accident in which he was a turret gunner in hitting a roadside bomb while on patrol in the area of Sadr City in Baghdad.

John James, an infantry officer, suffered a wound to his hand. He is recovering from minor injuries suffered in an attack in Afghanistan on May 30, officials with the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs said. A military source said the men were in a Humvee that was hit by a makeshift bomb constructed by insurgents. The officers are part of a team of 16 New Jersey National Guard troops.

L/Cpl Martyn Compton, of Kent, suffered third degree burns to 70% of his body, losing his ears and nose, and was shot in the leg in a bomb attack in 2006.Sapper Martin Little, 21, from 9 (Para) Squadron Royal Engineers was injured when a lone militant detonated an explosive (suicide) device as a foot patrol was returning to base in the Upper Sangin Valley in the volatile Helmand province. The blast fatally injured three others. Sapper Little, from Chipping, near Garstang, is now being treated at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and is expected to make a good recovery. Sapper Little, originally from Preston but whose family now live in Chipping, is believed to have suffered wounds to one of his arms and his right leg as he turned away from the blast.

The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by CENTCOM. Pfc. Thomas F. Duncan, III died during combat operations in Sinjar, Iraq on Monday, June 9th. No other details were released.

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps – Iraq soldier in from non-battle related causes in Baghdad on Wednesday, June 11th. No other details were released.

Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:#1: A roadside bomb has exploded in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least five people, police say. The blast struck two minibuses in the mainly Shia Kadhimiyah district in north-west Baghdad. A woman and seven-year-old boy were among the dead minibus passengers and at least 10 other people were wounded, police said.A roadside bomb went off near the textile factory in the Kadimiyah neighborhood in northern Baghdad, killing five people and wounding ten others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Most of the victims were passengers in a passing minibus, the source said.

#2: At least one civilian died in another explosion in south-west Baghdad, Iraqi police said. In the south-west Karrada area, the fatality occurred when mortar rounds hit a busy street. Five people were wounded, police said.Another roadside bomb exploded close to a police patrol near the Mission commercial compound in the Mu'asker al-Rasheed thoroughfare in southern Baghdad, killing a civilian and wounding seven others. The blast apparently missed its target, striking nearby civilian cars and shops, the source said.

#3: Few minutes later, another bomb was detonated near a gas station in Baghdad's Benook district, injuring two civilians.A third roadside bomb went off in Baghdad's northeastern neighborhood of Bunoug, wounding two people, he said

#4: In the capital's Shiite-dominated Kazimiyah district, a bomb went off on a bus injuring four passengers, police sources told VOI.

#5: A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol at Al-Mission complex in Karrada neighborhood (east Baghdad). One police was killed and seven others were injured.

Diyala Prv:#1: Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday blew up an Iraqi army officer's house in west of Khaniqeen, Diala province, a senior official said. Unknown gunmen detonated the house in al-Saadiya district, west of Khaniqeen, by planting a bomb inside it," Ahmad Zarkoushi, the mayor of the district, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq. The explosion destroyed the house and damaged the nearby houses," he added, noting that the blast left no casualties.

Bahraz:#1: A joint force of U.S. and Iraqi personnel killed two al-Qaeda gunmen and arrested 16 more during a security operation waged south of Baaquba, a security source said on Wednesday. "Joint U.S.-Iraqi forces launched a military operation late Tuesday targeting al-Qaeda group in Bahraz district, south of Baaquba, where they killed two gunmen and arrested 16 others," the source, who asked not to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

Kut:#1: A policeman was killed and four were injured on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device went off near a police vehicle patrol in central Kut, said a police source.

Kirkuk:#1: Four policemen and a civilian were wounded on Wednesday in a roadside bomb explosion in western Kirkuk, said a police source."An explosive charge went off targeting a police vehicle patrol in Sahet al-Tayaran in western Kirkuk, wounding four policemen and a passing civilian," the source told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq on condition of anonymity.A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol at Al-Tayran square in Kirkuk city. 6 people were injured

#2: The social and religious committee in Kirkuk city council buried 4 unidentified dead bodies including one for a woman.Al Anbar Prv:#1: Police said they found the bodies of five men, shot and tortured, near Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad.

Afghanistan:

1: Pakistan said on Wednesday an "unprovoked and cowardly" air strike by U.S. forces had killed 11 Pakistani soldiers on its border with Afghanistan and undermined the basis of security cooperation. The soldiers were killed at a border post in the Mohmand region, opposite Afghanistan's Kunar province, late on Tuesday as U.S. coalition forces in Afghanistan battled militants attacking from Pakistan, a Pakistani security official said.

#2: MILITANTS in Pakistan executed a woman after accusing her of being a spy for the United States and a prostitute, and said others would face the same fate, a government official and villagers said today. It was the first time that a woman had been killed in northwest Pakistan after being accused of spying although militants have killed many men they accused of helping US forces in neighbouring Afghanistan. The body of the unidentified woman was found dumped beside a road near the town of Khar in the Bajaur region on the Afghan border, a hotbed of support for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. A note was found with the body, a government official said.

#3: Officials says 31 people died in airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan.Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary says most of the 31 people were foreign fighters. But Khalid Farooqi, a lawmaker from Paktika, says at least nine civilians were killed. The U.S.-led coalition says four civilians were killed and that several militants died in the clashes in northern Paktika province early Wednesday. Twelve militants were detained.Farooqi says the operation apparently targeted militant commander Mullah Mohammad Nabi and fighters who served under him.

SO TELL US AGAIN SEN. JOHN McCAIN HOW WELL WE ARE DOING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

STARS AND STRIPES REPORTS:PENTAGON COULD CARE LESS: THEY WILL SELL NIGHT VISION GOGGLE TO IRAQ DESPITE CHANCES THEY WILL END UP IN HANDS OF INSURGENTS

The Pentagon plans to sell 4,000 pair of night vision goggles to Iraq even though many experts fear the goggles will fall into the hands of the insurgents and will be used to kill American troops.

Is the Pentagon that hard up for money, or did some lobbyist get to them?

Pentagon plans to sell goggles to Iraq

Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Wednesday, June 11, 2007
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55444

The Pentagon plans to sell up to 4,000 sets of high-tech night vision goggles to Iraq, despite U.S. government audits showing the deal could leave a critical U.S. military asset vulnerable to theft or diversion to insurgents, USA Today reported Tuesday.

The goggles are part of a major, $1.4 billion proposed sale of weapons and other military gear for Iraqi forces, which have been faulted along with their Pentagon supervisors for being unable to account for thousands of firearms and other battlefield equipment provided by the United States, the newspaper noted.

The sale also would send Humvees, rifles, grenade launchers and cargo trucks to Iraq, which has become a leading foreign buyer of U.S. weaponry, USA Today wrote.

The night-vision goggles, which have capabilities far beyond commercial versions, are particularly sensitive, according to USA Today, because they give troops such an advantage that the military often launches its most dangerous missions after dark.

"The night-vision goggles are an absolute treasure — it’s imperative that not one set gets into the wrong hands," Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., top Republican on the House oversight subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs, told the paper.

The Iraqis need the goggles to become a capable force in nighttime operations and take over security duties, Shays said, but "we have to have a real sense of confidence that they can keep track of them. … We haven’t done a good job of keeping track in the past, so we need to learn those lessons."

NICE AND QUIET IN BAGHDAD WEDNESDAY: ONLY 5 WERE KILLED

We keep hearing from Sen. John McCain, the Bush administration, and their propaganda arm, FAUX NEWS, how remarkably quiet things are in Baghdad. I guess when you have your head stuck in the sand you can't really see what is happening in the Iraqi capitol.

Here is what took place Wednesday morning in Baghdad:

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police say a roadside bomb has killed five people riding minibuses in Baghdad.

An officer says the bomb exploded near a bridge in the mostly Shiite Hurriyah neighborhood around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq;_ylt=AiO5rt2Gu0MWUMtxj.bLKFFX6GMA

He says a woman and 7-year-old boy are among the dead, and at least 10 other people are wounded.

Meanwhile, police say two mortar rounds hit a busy street in the central Baghdad area of Karrada, killing a civilian and wounding five others.

The officers spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.

BE THE FIRST ON YOUR BLOCK TO HAVE THE OFFICIAL IRAQI GOVERNMENT WEB SITE

The Iraqi government has worked long and hard to put together this official Iraqi government web site.

Remember: The United States is shelling out 9 BILLION dollars a month to sustain the Iraq war and to prop up the Iraqi government.

Iraq marshaled all their computer savvy resources and this is what they came up with as the Official Site of the Iraqi Government.

http://www.cabinet.iq/

BBC: IRAQ VIOLENCE: IN FIGURES: MILITARY AND CIVILIAN

When this blogger wants to know the TRUTH about what is happening in Iraq, I turn to legitimate news sources overseas rather than depending on the mainstream media in the United States who have copped out on coverage of the Iraq war.

Here is a link to a story from the BBC that sums up the death toll in Iraq: Military and civilian.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/629/629/7036068.stm

FINALLY! SOME GOOD NEWS TO REPORT FROM IRAQ

It is beginning to look like the Bush admnistration pushed to hard to establish 53 permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

U.S. security talks with Iraq in trouble in Baghdad and D.C.

Leila Fadel and Warren P. Strobel McClatchy Newspapers
last updated: June 10, 2008 08:39:59 PM
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/40549.html

BAGHDAD — A proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that would set the conditions for a defense alliance and long-term U.S. troop presence appears increasingly in trouble, facing growing resistance from the Iraqi government, bipartisan opposition in Congress and strong questioning from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

President Bush is trying to finish the agreement before he leaves office, and senior U.S. officials insist publicly that the negotiations can be completed by a July 31 target date.

The U.S. is apparently scaling back some of its demands, including backing off one that particularly incenses Iraqis, blanket immunity for private security contractors.

But meeting the July 31 deadline seems increasing doubtful, and in Baghdad and Washington there is growing speculation that a United Nations mandate for U.S.-led military operations in Iraq may have to be renewed after it expires at the end of 2008.

On Capitol Hill, top Democrats and Republicans complain that Bush is rushing the negotiations to try to tie his successor's hands.

Click on link to read full story.

WHAT HAPPENED IN IRAQ FROM NOON MONDAY UNTIL LATE TUESDAY

It's never a dull day in Iraq, but if you were to watch cable news or read the newspapers you would think the Iraq war was over. Here are just a few developments out of Iraq from Noon Monday until late Tuesday. Click on BLUE for additional details.

Source: http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/index.tpl

Agreement with Iraq requires no Senate approval
Baghdad, Jun. 10, (VOI) – David Satterfield, U.S. State Department's Coordinator for Iraq, on Tuesday said that the bipartisan long-term agreement between Iraq and the U.S., currently being debated, will be executive, legal, and international between two sides.

15 killed, 26 injured in violent acts in Iraq
Baghdad, Jun 10, (VOI) - A total of 15 persons were killed and 26 others were wounded, while security forces arrested 59 people in acts of violence that took place throughout Iraq from 2:00 p.m. on Monday until Tuesday afternoon, security sources said.

NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY WITH U.S. PLAN TO BUILD 53 PERMANENT BASES IN IRAQ

The Bush administration is trying to see the American public on the idea that constructing 53 permanent military bases in Iraq will be no different that what has been done in Germany and Korea since the end of both wars over 50 years ago.

There is, however, a very big difference.

Troops in Germany and Korea have not been caught in sniper fire, mortar fire or IED's exploding every time they go out on patrol.

Nobody can guarantee there won't be attacks on U.S. troops because the nature of Iraq is such Al Qaeda, terrorists and insurgents will lay down their weapons and stop trying to kill Americans.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE


Talks to keep U.S. troops in Iraq provoke ire

Proposal to extend America's military role years into the future meets lawmaker resistance, from Washington to Baghdad.

By Howard LaFranchi Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the June 10, 2008 edition
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0610/p03s01-usfp.html

Washington - An agreement the United States is negotiating with Iraq on the conditions for the long-term stationing of American forces there is under fire from national legislative leaders in both countries.

At the same time, an accord that would permit the US to keep soldiers on Iraqi soil for years to come – the same kind of agreement that governs the US military presence in South Korea, Japan, and Germany – faces criticism from some of Iraq's neighbors, especially Iran.

Some Iraqi parliamentarians fear the proposed agreement would keep Iraq an occupied country and a venue for the US to fight its battles with Al Qaeda and Iran. Some in the US Congress worry a deal could tie the hands of the next president on Iraq policy. Both groups say the executive branches of the two countries are too tight-lipped about a negotiating process that was supposed to be transparent.

"Any [details] we have about this agreement have come through the media, but what we have learned tells us this agreement is totally unfair to the Iraqi people," says Khalaf al-Alayyan, a Sunni sheikh and parliamentarian leader of the Iraqi National Dialogue Council, a party favoring a US withdrawal. "Whoever has a chance to look at it would realize Iraq [under the proposed agreement] would not just be an occupied country, but as if it were part of the United States."

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, four senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week accused the Bush administration of reneging on its promise of transparency with the Congress on the negotiating process.

The bipartisan letter said the administration had committed to consulting closely with Congress "throughout the entire process" but that "scant detail" has been forthcoming so far.

The US-Iraq security accord was at the center of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit Sunday to Tehran, where he tried to assuage Iranian leaders' concerns about a permanent US presence on their doorstep.

"We will not allow Iraq to become a platform for harming the security of Iran," Mr. Maliki said, according to IRNA, the state-run Iranian news service.

Click on link above to keep reading.

The Maliki government wants the agreement with the US to replace a United Nations mandate for the stationing of foreign forces in the country, which expires at year's end. But its growing economic and political relationship with Tehran is testing its ability to simultaneously pursue a US-Iraqi accord.

CHENEY AND DAUGHTER LIZ HYPE WAR WITH IRAN: LIZ DISAGREES WITH CONDOLEEZA RICE

It isn't bad enough to have one warmonger pushing for war with Iran, but now Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Elizabeth has jumped into the discussion and is joining her Dad in an effort to get the United States into a war with Iran.

Elizabeth Cheney has been openly critical of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and disagrees with Rice's plan for working with Iran.

Hawks still circling on Iran

By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JF10Ak02.html

Once again, notably in the wake of last week's annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference and the visit to the capital of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, there's a lot of chatter about a possible attack by Israel and/or the United States on Iran. Olmert appears to have left the White House after meeting with President George W Bush and an earlier dinner with Vice President Dick Cheney quite satisfied on this score, while rumors - most recently voiced by neo-conservative Daniel Pipes - that the administration plans to carry out a "massive" attack in the window between the November elections and Bush's departure from office, particularly if Democratic Senator Barack Obama is his successor, continue to swirl around the capital.

What to make of this? Is this real? Or is it psychological warfare designed to persuade Tehran that it really does face devastation if it doesn't freeze its uranium-enrichment program very, very soon and/or to warn Russia and China that they have to put more pressure on Tehran or deal with the consequences of such an attack? As I mentioned in a previous post, I've generally been skeptical of the many reports over the past two years that an attack - either by Israeli or the US - was imminent, as those reports had often warned at the time of their publication. After the release of the December National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), I, like just about everyone else, became even more doubtful that Bush would order an attack before leaving office (and I didn't think the Israelis would mount an attack without a green light from Washington).

This is in part because neo-conservatives, who had been and remain the most eager champions of military action, seemed to simply give up on Bush and, in any event, were not showing any signs of orchestrating a major new media campaign to mobilize public opinion in that direction, as they did in the run-up to the Iraq invasion.

Then there is the "Cheney" role which is becoming more prominent. I am referring not only to Olmert's dinner with Cheney last Wednesday evening in which the two men reportedly addressed "operational subjects", whatever that means. (Remember, it was Cheney's top Middle East aide, David Wurmser, who, during the spring of 2007 when the realists were clearly in the driver's seat, was shopping around to sympathetic think-tanks a scheme - from which the vice president's office was later forced to disassociate itself - for forcing Bush into war with Iran by getting Israel to launch a cruise missile attack on some Iranian nuclear facilities and counting on Tehran to retaliate against US forces.) In other words, Wednesday's dinner was not just a courtesy call; the Israelis clearly believe that Cheney is a player.

But I am also referring to another Cheney, namely Elizabeth, the former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and Cheney's daughter, who, during the opening plenary session of the AIPAC conference last Monday, took every opportunity to attack the policies of her former boss, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Liz was particularly harsh on Rice's pet project, the effort to gain at least a framework peace accord between Israel and the Palestinian Authority before Bush leaves office, arguing that the Annapolis Middle East peace process was a waste of time compared to the importance of dealing with Iran in what she called a "zero-sum game". "When we focus on that kind of arrangement [Israeli-Palestinian peace talks], we don't have time to focus on Iran," she declared, suggesting as well that Tehran's leadership was not "rational" and that previous efforts to engage it had also been a waste of time, or worse.

Iran needs to be convinced that if it doesn't heed United Nations Security Council demands to halt enrichment, "They will face military action. We do not have the luxury of time," she said to (surprisingly) scattered applause.

Third, Liz Cheney's remarks should be seen in the context of a more concerted attack by the hawks on Rice of which the recent hatchet job by the Weekly Standard's by Stephen Hayes, the vice president's favorite reporter, was perhaps the most important piece. Hayes accused Rice of betraying the Bush Doctrine and focused much of his essay on her backing for US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill's negotiations over the past year with North Korea, on which the State Department has already been forced on the defensive. Now comes Liz's top-to-bottom repudiation of Rice's Middle East policy - from favoring Palestinian elections in 2006, to initiating the Annapolis summit in Maryland last year and then inviting Syria to attend it, to welcoming last month's Doha agreement on Lebanon.

All of which, she charged, had given Iran a "real choke-hold on the region". Now, I don't think there can be any question that the views of both Hayes and Liz reflect those of the vice president. Moreover, because their closeness to the vice president is so clear and unmistakable, the fact that these views are so harsh and so public suggests to me that Cheney feels more confident than he has felt for some time. Moreover, the campaign to discredit Rice seems to have hit its mark. Not only did she sound defensive in her own speech to AIPAC last Tuesday morning, but she assumed a more-hawkish tone on Iran than she had previously.

Click on link to read the rest of this story.

DO THEY REALLY THINK POTSHOTS WON'T BE TAKEN AT US TROOPS IN IRAQ?

Yahoo and AP http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq;_ylt=AjSnGGMWaYrKKbSpeKHuTjNX6GMA are reporting the deal is nearly set to establish permanent U.S. bases in Iraq long after the UN security mandate expires next summer.

I've heard a lot of arguments about how we have had troops in Germany and Korea for 50 years and that is true, but there is one glaring difference. Nobody is taking potshots at our troops in Germany and Korea, but if we establish permanent bases in Iraq the GIs assigned to the area will be under constant fire from insurgents, terrorists, militants or you name it.

Whoever came up this idea must have been out to lunch on the day the lecture was held on how a guerrilla war is fought.

COMMENTARY BY BILL CORCORAN, EDITOR OF CORKSPHERE

US: Iraq security pact can be finalized in July

By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 17 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - The U.S. State Department's top Iraq adviser said Tuesday he believes an agreement to establish a long-term security relationship between Iraq and the United States will be completed by the end of July.

"We're confident it can be achieved, and by the end of July deadline," David Satterfield told reporters in Baghdad's U.S.-guarded Green Zone.

The pact also would provide a legal basis for keeping American troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.

But tempering the optimism were recent reports in Iraq and Washington that the talks had stalled because of stiff Iraqi opposition, and it would not be finished before President Bush leaves office.

A senior Bush administration official close to the talks told The Associated Press on Monday that it was "very possible" the U.S. may have to extend the existing United Nations mandate.

Iran also has lashed out at the agreement, suggesting that if permanent U.S. military bases are established on Iraqi soil, the country could be used as a launching pad for attacks on the neighboring country.

Satterfield disputed that Tuesday, saying Washington "does not think Iraq should be an arena, a platform for attacks on other states."

"We want to see Iraqi sovereignty strengthened, not weakened," Satterfield told reporters.
Meanwhile, the head of Saddam Hussein's tribal clan was killed Tuesday by a bomb planted on his car, Iraqi police said.

Sheik Ali al-Nida was the 65-year-old chief of Iraq's al-Bu Nasir tribe, a large Sunni Arab clan of about 20,000 members, including Saddam's family.

Al-Nida and one of his guards died when a bomb glued to the undercarriage of his car exploded as they drove through the Wadi Shishain area of Tikrit, a mostly Sunni Arab city about 80 miles north of Baghdad, an officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.

Three other guards were seriously wounded, the officer said.

As the head of the clan, al-Nida received Saddam's body after his 2006 execution and arranged the former dictator's funeral. In 2007, he founded a so-called Awakening Council in Saddam's home village of Ouja, partnering with U.S. forces to fight Sunni militants in the area.
Members of Saddam's tribe have been targeted before, but it was unclear whether it was because of their ties to the former Iraqi dictator or because of long-standing tribal rivalries.
Al-Nida's brother, Mahmoud al-Nida, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the summer of 2006.

U.S. and Iraqi military operations continued in Baghdad Tuesday with Iraqi soldiers cordoning off an area to search houses following a tip militants were hiding there, an officer said.
An AP reporter at the scene said a suspected car bomber rammed into the fence of a house before gunmen burst out of the vehicle running. A gun battle erupted with Iraqi soldiers killing at least one of the men. Two others escaped and a fourth wounded man was arrested.
Afterward, the dead man's body lay in the street, covered with a newspaper. Blood pooled nearby.

POTPOURRI OF IRAQ EVENTS THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT

We continue to scan the major newspapers and watch cable news stations in the United States looking for events in Iraq that impact on the lives of our 160,000 troops in Iraq, but also their families back in the United States, however the mainstream media feels the American public doesn't deserve to know what is happening in Iraq.

We totally disagree and that is why we are bringing our blog readers a potpourri of events in Iraq they never get to read or hear about. Click on the BLUE for expanded details of each topic.

SOURCE: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/

Sunday: Iraq: At least 20 killed as US occupation grinds on: A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded two policemen and two civilians in the New Baghdad district of eastern Baghdad.
Iraq: Saturday: At Least 14 killed in another bloody day of US occupation: The U.S. occupation force said they killed four gunmen and captured two wanted men southwest of Mosul.
Iraq says it wants to restrict movement of U.S. troops: Iraq said on Friday it would not grant U.S. troops freedom of movement for military operations in a new agreement being negotiated on extending the presence of American troops on its soil.
Iraq May Rebuff Troop Terms in New Security Plan: The Iraqi government doesn't want to extend the UN resolution and prefers to replace it with a bilateral agreement, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said yesterday. It might address issues such as whether U.S. soldiers have immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Iraq's Grand Ayatollah warns from uprising against US security pact: Al-Modaresy described the long-term treaty with the US as a 'sword directed over the Iraqis necks,' during a meeting with reporters.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,'sets 4 conditions for US pact: "The cleric stressed that any long-term pact in Iraq should maintain four key terms including safeguarding Iraqis' interests, national sovereignty, national consensus and being presented to the Iraqi parliament for approval." leader of the largest bloc in Iraq's parliament, Seyyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim said quoting Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Iraqi Premier al-Maliki arrives in Tehran: He is to meet later Sunday morning with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss the latest developments in Iraq, including an agreement between Iraq and the United States to be finalized next month.
Iraq will not be used to "harm" Iran, PM vows : Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought to reassure Iran over a planned security pact with Washington on Sunday, vowing Iraq would never be used as a platform to attack the Islamic republic.
Israel ready to attack Iran: The blunt warning that Israel's government is ready to strike at its chief rival in the region was given by Shaul Mofaz, transport minister and a deputy prime minister, in a press interview published yesterday.
IAEA warns against attacks on states with suspected nuclear plants: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned against threats of military action against states with suspected nuclear plants, charging that the threats are undermining the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
Iran demands Security Council action on Israel threat: Iran demanded action from the U.N. Security Council about an Israeli threat to attack its nuclear sites if it continues uranium enrichment, according to a letter released on Saturday by Iranian U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee.
Olmert aides: Progress made with U.S. on forging common view on Iran: The sources said there had also been progress in Israel's request for advanced fighter aircraft, and the inclusion of the Israel Air Force in the USAF global early warning system against incoming ballistic missiles.
West is 'resigned' to Iran bomb: Israeli minister: An Israeli minister on Saturday accused the international community of failing to halt Iran's nuclear drive and the West of being "resigned" to Tehran's development of nuclear weapons.
Israel wants to make war while the sun shines: Israel, not for the first time doing US bidding, decided to muscle in on the act and warn Iran of the consequences should it continue with its nuclear programme.
Don't Bomb Iran: I urge you to support S. Res. 356, which would require that any military action against Iran be explicitly approved by Congress."

YOU'LL NEVER READ OR HEAR ABOUT THIS IN U.S. MEDIA: U.S. IS IRAQ'S TOP PROBLEM

TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki yesterday that the presence of US forces in Iraq was the biggest obstacle to its development as a united country.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=219897&Sn=WORL&IssueID=31082

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit out at the "occupiers" in Iraq at a time when Baghdad is negotiating with US on a new agreement aimed at giving a legal basis for US troops to stay in Iraq after December 31, when their UN mandate expires.

"The presence of occupiers in Iraq, particularly the US armed forces ... is the main obstacle to unity in Iraq," state radio quoted Khamenei, Shi'ite Iran's top authority, as saying.

He accused them of using their military and security powers to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs but that the "Americans' dreams" in the Middle East country would not be realised.

In Washingon, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack however, said when asked if he thought Iraq could resist Iranian pressure not to make such a deal with US: "Iraq is a sovereign state that is going to act in its national interest."

MAINSTREAM MEDIA CONTINUES TO LIE ABOUT THE ONGONG VIOLENCE IN IRAQ

The biggest sellout in the history of journalism has been the mainstream media in the United States who have decided the 160,000 young Americans stuck in Iraq are not worth reporting on anymore and instead are force-feeding politics on the unsuspecting American public.

Only MSNBC this morning mentioned the deaths of four American soldiers in two incidents in Iraq in the past 24 hours while the pathetic FOX NEWS continues to ramble on about the most innocuous garbage ever put on the air on any TV news outlet in the United States.

Below is a list of "security incidents" in Iraq which serve to point out how the mainstream media, with the exception of MSNBC, are lying to the American public about conditions in Iraq.

Monday, June 9, 2008
Source: http://warnewstoday.blogspot.com/ Click on BLUE for additional details.

War News for Monday, June 09, 2008
MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Coalition force Soldier (Multi-National Division - North) in a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device bombing in Ta’Mim province on Sunday, June 8th. Eighteen other soldier and two Iraqis were wounded in the attack.

The Canadian DND is reporting the death of Captain Jonathan (Jon) Sutherland Snyder in a freak accident when he fell into a well while on patrol in the Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 7th. Here's the NATO statement.

The British MoD is reporting the deaths of three British ISAF soldiers in a suicide explosive device attack in 1km west of their Forward Operating Base in the Upper Sangin Valley, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Sunday, June 8th. One additional soldier was wounded in the attack. Here's the NATO statement.

Reported Security incidents:Baghdad:#1: Meanwhile, a parked car packed with munitions exploded near a passing Iraqi army patrol in eastern Baghdad, killing three civilians and an army lieutenant, police said. The explosion wounded seven others, and damaged several cars and shops in a busy commercial district of Karrada, an officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.A car bomb targeted an Iraqi army patrol at Rashid Camp street (east Baghdad).Three people were killed (including 1 soldier) and 12 others wounded(included 4 soldiers and one officer).

#2: Two civilians were killed and five others wounded on Monday when a car rigged with explosives went off in the southern Baghdad district of Mujammaa al-Mashn, police said. "A car bomb pared on a roadside in Mujammaa al-Mashn, on the southern Baghdad al-Rashid camp highway, went off on Monday, leaving two people killed and five others wounded," a police source, who declined to have his name revealed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq.

#3: Four bodies were found with gunshot wounds in different districts of Baghdad on Sunday, police said.#4: A roadside bomb detonated in Harthiyah neighborhood(central Baghdad)on Karkh bank. Five people were injured with no casualties reported of the American side.#5: Mortars hit the green zone (IZ) where the Iraqi government headquarters and the foreign embassies are .No casualties reported.

Diyala Prv:#1: Mortar shells fell on a residential building in the village of Sanija near Baquba, 57 kilometres north-east of Baghdad. One man was killed and three people from the same family were injured, according to the source.

#2: In the second attack, a bomb went off near a farmland in the village of Muradiyah near Baquba, injuring four women from the same family

#3: Twenty-five unidentified bodies were buried in the al-Sharif cemetery in central Baaquba, a police source in the province of Diala said on Monday.

#4: (?) Also in Diyala, a hotbed of Sunni insurgency, a mass grave containing 25 decomposed bodies was uncovered by Iraqi troops and members of a tribal police force, medical officials told dpa. The discovery was made during search operations in the Qatun area, west of Baquba.

Baquba:#1: A car bomb, targeting an Iraqi police checkpoint near a shopping centre in Baghdad's district of Karada, killed five people, including one policeman, and injured 10, police sources told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa.

#2: A roadside bomb killed a man driving a tractor just north of Baquba, police said.

Hibhib:#1: Gunmen killed a former retired officer at Hibhib (north of Baquba).Balad Ruz:#1: Gunmen killed a woman in Balad Ruz (31 miles east of Baquba).

Muqdadiyah:#1: Gunmen opened fire in Muqdadiyah town (30 miles northeast Baquba). Two people were seriously wounded in that attack.

Amara:#1: An Iraqi policeman was killed by unidentified gunmen in central al-Amara on Monday, a security source within the Missan police command said. "Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Basra province policeman who was driving by at the Industrial Zone in central Amara, killing him instantly," the source, who asked not to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq. "The killed policeman was a driver for a police director in Basra," 590 km south of Baghdad, the source added, not giving more details about the incident.

Tarmiya:#1: A bomb exploded near a checkpoint controlled by a U.S.-backed neighbourhood patrol, killing one person and wounding three others in Tarmiya, 25 km (15 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Mosul:#1: Gunmen stormed a house and killed two people in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.#2: Gunmen killed one policeman while he was on a foot patrol in western Mosul, police said.

Northwestern Iraq:#1: American soldiers, acting on intelligence gleaned from Iraqis already in U.S. custody, approached a suspected militant safehouse Monday in a remote area of northwestern Iraq, the military said. Troops immediately came under heavy fire from a fortified enemy position, it said.When U.S. forces called in airstrikes, "secondary explosions erupted from the target buildings, indicating weapons and bomb materials inside," a military statement said. Five men were confirmed dead, and multiple suicide vests and heavy machine guns were also discovered in the ruins of their hideout, it said.