Tue Nov 25, 5:57 AM ET
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Posted on 11/25/2003 6:25:12 AM PST by Happy2BMe
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Tue Nov 25, 5:57 AM ET
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By Alistair Lyon
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A top U.S. general said on Tuesday that intensified U.S. military strikes had halved the number of attacks on his forces in Iraq (news - web sites) in the past two weeks, but assaults on Iraqis had surged General John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, was speaking a day after Iraq's interim authority submitted a timetable for self-rule and asked the U.N. Security Council for a new resolution that would end the U.S.-led occupation in June.
Abizaid said U.S. forces had stepped up operations to counter a rise in insurgent activity over the past 60 days.
"These offensive actions in the past two weeks have actually driven down attacks on coalition forces...I would say the attacks are down by about half," he told a news conference.
"But unfortunately we have found that attacks against Iraqis have increased," he added.
U.S. administrator Paul Bremer predicted more violence. "We have to anticipate that there will continue to be a level of terrorism in this country in the months ahead," he said.
Security on the ground was intense as troops remained on alert for attacks marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan after grisly weekend killings of U.S. soldiers and two suicide bombings on police stations that killed 17 Iraqis.
On Monday, a grenade attack on a hotel used by U.S. contractors in the northern city of Kirkuk wounded three people, witnesses said.
Bremer and the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council unveiled a plan 10 days ago to restore Iraqi sovereignty in June, reversing earlier U.S. insistence that a new constitution and elections should precede any transfer of power.
In a letter to the Security Council on Monday, Jalal Talabani, president of the Iraqi council, said a provisional legislative body would be chosen by May 31. This would elect a provisional government by the end of June.
Then "the Coalition Provisional Authority will be dissolved and the occupation...will end," Talabani's letter said.
His letter did not mention continued deployment of U.S. and other foreign troops, but it is assumed the new provisional government will request that they stay.
MORE U.S. TROOPS NOT NEEDED
Guerrillas fighting the occupation have killed 185 U.S. troops since Washington declared major combat over on May 1, but Abizaid said there were enough troops in Iraq to combat them.
"I talk to the commanders in the field all the time about whether they are comfortable with the size of the force, and they are," he said.
The United States has about 130,000 troops in Iraq, but some congressmen say more are needed to curb the insurgency.
Washington blames the attacks on insurgents loyal to toppled leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and foreign Muslim militants.
On Sunday, witnesses said two U.S. soldiers were shot in the northern city of Mosul, before being dragged from their car in broad daylight and beaten by an angry crowd. The U.S. Army denied the men were stabbed, as some witnesses had reported. Asked whether U.S.-led forces were facing a coordinated guerrilla campaign, Abizaid said there were a number of cells operating countrywide, mainly in urban areas. "There is some indication of regional coordination between the cells. We haven't really seen what I would call levels of national coordination, although that remains unknown," he said. The Governing Council's timetable, worked out with U.S. and British officials, had been due on December 15 but arrived three weeks early. It was requested in an October Security Council resolution, which created a multinational force in Iraq. The United States and Britain are considering a new resolution that would welcome or endorse the accelerated timetable, which Washington had opposed in October. A new Iraqi constitution would be drafted by March 15, 2005, and then presented to Iraqis in a referendum. A new government would be elected by the end of the year, Talabani's letter said. "The principal reason for this agreement was an effort to reconcile different positions: an Iraqi desire to directly elect delegates to a constitutional convention and the coalition's desire to give Iraqis sovereignty at an early date," Bremer said. He said there would be talks with the Governing Council about security arrangements after sovereignty is returned. "It is our anticipation that the (transitional) Iraqi government...will want to have coalition forces here," he said. Underscoring the grave security situation, aid group CARE Australia became the latest international non-government organization to pull out its foreign staff from Iraq after a rocket attack on its headquarters on Friday and death threats.
Alright !
Yep ! The GDP revision was UP from 7.2 to 8.2 this morning !
Don't you know that little tommy da$$hole is ...
Saddened, deeply saddened . . .
We are really losing out by not being popular in Berlin and Paris.
IMHO, we have learned a very valuable lesson by keeping on the offensive with the Muslims.
And on the other hand, we have made an incredible blunder by court martialling one of our own officers for merely getting information from an active and hostile enemy in order to preserve our own well being and lives.
DoD needs to get their act straight yesterday.
Hope we don't see any more court martials.
The national and international media engines are running full-speed trying to sink our efforts in Iraq.
Good catch. Keep 'em coming!
Our free (thanks to the US military) press hypes one small aid agency pulling 6 workers out of Iraq, while ignoring most of the good work done by 130,000 US troops, over 100,000 civilian contractors, over 23,000 Coalition allies and over 100,000 Iraqi security forces daily...all anyone needs to know about today's mainstream press, imho.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Abizaid said U.S. forces had stepped up operations to counter a rise in insurgent activity over the past 60 days.
"These offensive actions in the past two weeks have actually driven down attacks on coalition forces...I would say the attacks are down by about half," he told a news conference.
"But unfortunately we have found that attacks against Iraqis have increased..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm sure the 'RATS would love to figure out how they could get the Euro-weenie vote ! ...
'Empty Chair' Thanksgiving Prayer Urged for U.S. Troops A Texas pastor is encouraging his church to remember to pray for troops in Iraq this Thursday with an extra spot at the Thanksgiving table. J. Burt Palmer, who leads Calvary United Methodist Church in Paris, came up with the idea after he received a note in September from Sgt. Todd Dishman, a member of the congregation who serves in Iraq with the 285th Combat Support Engineers, "The Dallas Morning News" reported.
You been to New York City lately?
:~)
This is a wonderful gesture of support for our sons and daughters defending our freedom in Iraq.
Betcha won't see it on CNN.
We need more like him.
Happy Thanksgiving to One and All.
(And Dear God we ask for your mercy, strength, widsom, and protection over each of our troops in Iraq.)
hehe ! Nope !
Theories on negativity toward Iraqi war, Bush
LETTERS
I have been surfing the Internet a lot lately because I have no life now that I have been sent from Iraq to the California desert. And all I see read and feel is a negativity towards the president and the cause in Iraq. I have two theories on this:
Theory #1: Most of the people so against the war are ones who missed out on the whole Vietnam experience. They didn't get to protest, burn draft cards and feel, since they lack the intestinal fortitude to serve their country, they must do something in regard to the war on terrorism, so they protest it.
Theory #2: The election has still hurt some people. Three years later, they still can't get over the fact that Gore didn't win, and just won't find a positive thing about President Bush:
Although the Congress and the majority of Americans wanted this war nine months ago, it wasn't started by a Democrat, thus it is evil.
Regardless of theory, this must end. This war happened, Gore didn't become president, and if we turn into the '60s, America changing policy in midstream, we will do a great disservice to our fallen soldiers and the Iraqi people.
"Unity" would be a nice thing in our papers, to let the Fadaeen know we are united would probably lessen their cause, but keep on the path of protest, continue to not back your president. Sooner or later we as Americans are going to have to stop the cycle of "my candidate didn't get elected so I will act like a malcontent."
I think we are just stuck in that cycle. After eight years of bashing Clinton, Democrats must reciprocate toward the Republicans. It's a great example for our children.
Anthony Koch
Fort Irwin, Calif.,
and Woodlawn
Email this story
Originally published Tuesday, November 25, 2003
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