[N8 v2.0]

...but, for how long??? A few days? A couple weeks?? A month maybe???


Militiamen Control Parts of 3 Iraq Cities
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Shiite Muslim militants held partial control Thursday over three southern Iraqi cities, while Sunni insurgents killed a U.S. Marine in the battle for Fallujah. In escalating violence against foreign civilians, insurgents kidnapped three Japanese, eight South Koreans and two Arab aid workers from Jerusalem.

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[Tenchiro]

I am suprised they used the term militiamen, and not terrorists or insurgents or something.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Developments in Iraq
By The Associated Press

Latest headlines:

_ Seven South Koreans and three Japanese were being held by insurgents in Iraq, and captors armed with automatic rifles and swords threatened to burn the Japanese alive if Tokyo did not withdraw from the U.S.-led coalition. Japan said it has no plans to pull out. Two aid workers who are Arab residents of Jerusalem — including one with a driver's license from the U.S. state of Georgia — also were reported kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents.


_ Sunni insurgents killed a U.S. Marine in the battle for Fallujah.


_ Anti-U.S. Shiite militiamen held partial or full control over three southern Iraqi cities — Kut, Najaf and Kufa. The top U.S. military official in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, said coalition forces would move soon to break their hold in Kut in an operation dubbed "Resolute Sword."


_ Sanchez also said it appeared there are links "at the lowest levels" between the Shiite militia and Sunni Arab insurgents who have long fought U.S. troops in central Iraq.


_ Three explosions rocked central Baghdad, with smoke rising from the Green Zone — the sealed-off neighborhood where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters. The military did not immediately report any casualties.


_ Iraq's interior minister, who leads security forces, resigned at the request of the United States. It was unclear if Nuri al-Badran's resignation was connected to the failure of Iraqi police to confront the insurgents.

 

[Westy]

Ugly ugly ugly.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Light-hearted Iraqi "rebels" say they will burn Japanese civilian hostages alive if Japan doesn't remove its troops in 3 days.


News Here

 

[$tinkle]

although this may be ugly on its face, be certain it's temporary.

john burns, NYTimes
If Moktada al-Sadr has chosen a grand mosque in this Euphrates River town for a last stand against American troops, as many of his militiamen have claimed in recent days, he appears to be relying more on the will of God than anything like military discipline to protect him.

Many hundreds of militiamen in the black outfits of Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army were visible on Tuesday on roads approaching the golden-domed mosque and inside the sprawling compound leading to the inner sanctuary. But they seemed unmarshaled, at least to the layman's eye--more milling about than militant. . . .

Some of the militiamen were in their 50's and 60's, but most were young, some no more than 12 or 13. Weapons training among them appeared virtually nonexistent; Kalashnikovs with loaded magazines and safety catches off were nonchalantly waved in the air.

couple this w/ bombing mosque compound (whatever that is), & we'll mop 'em up straight away. We must be careful to insure the Iraqi police forces have active involvement & are visible, however.

'tis a dance.