US says roadside bomb in Iraq kills 3 Americans

The Associated Press ^ | CHELSEA J. CARTER

[Allegra]

BAGHDAD (AP) — A roadside bomb struck a U.S. convoy in western Iraq, killing three Americans, including a senior State Department official, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The blast killed Terence Barnich, the deputy director of the State Department's Iraq Transition Assistance Office in Baghdad, as well as a U.S. soldier and a civilian contractor as their convoy left a construction site near Fallujah on Monday, military and government officials said. Two others were wounded.

Insurgents once held sway over the western province of Anbar, which was the scene of some of the deadliest fighting of the war. But violence fell off dramatically after Sunni fighters turned on al-Qaida in Iraq and joined U.S. forces in what has become known in Iraq as "the Awakening."

[Allegra]

Sad news. The calm we had for months is being shaken lately.

[pissant]

[McGruff]

Every time we hear of one of these thing we worry about you. Keep in touch.

[Oldexpat]

We need to remind ourselves that there are non-military people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, voluntarily going to a war zone to do tough work of country building.
Lots of them are non-career Diplomats. They are being fairly paid, but are still Patriots and not mercenaries.
The contractor may be a security or public works contractor..doesn’t say. Once again volunteers in the war zone..doing the countries work.

[swarthyguy]

Who do you believe was responsible.

The Sahwa crowd, angry that they’re not getting a break from Maliki, accurate or not.

An AQ surge?

Shias trying to foment trouble between Sunnis and Amis?

[Allegra]

Who do you believe was responsible.

Hard to say at this point.

As much as that area has long been a Sunni stronghold and was heavily occupied by al Qaeda for years, I haven't ruled out Iranian scum.

Iran's been sabre-rattling quite a bit of late and Iraq is one of their favorite playgrounds.

[Allegra]

They are being fairly paid, but are still Patriots and not mercenaries.
The contractor may be a security or public works contractor..doesn’t say. Once again volunteers in the war zone..doing the countries work.

Thank you. I have often been accused, even here on FR, of being a "war profiteer." I think that is one of the nastiest accusations someone can make and it tends to tell me more about the accuser than they probably realize.

Personally, I'm in the capacity development/training/transition line of work here. I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way. (Well, OK, it would be great if they could turn the heat down outside in the summer...)