Four U.S. Troops, 16 Others Killed in Iraq
/Suicide car bombs struck Iraqi police and Kurdish militiamen in Baghdad
and northern Iraq on Saturday, killing at least 16 people and wounding
dozens, while four U.S. soldiers died in separate attacks, again
demonstrating the lethal reach of Iraq's insurgency just weeks ahead of
crucial elections. The U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. John Abizaid,
acknowledged that the country's homegrown forces aren't yet up to the
task of ensuring secure elections, requiring the planned increase in
U.S. troops. More than 42 Iraqis have been killed in the last two days
alone. But U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi criticized the military's
hardline approach to the insurgency and said credible elections cannot
be held Jan. 30 under the current conditions. Meanwhile, the insurgents
pursued their deadly campaign against American troops and Iraqi
security forces. Two U.S. soldiers were killed by roadside bombs in
Baghdad and near Baqouba Saturday, and two other American soldiers were
killed and four wounded when their patrol came under attack in the
northern city of Mosul. Also Saturday in Mosul, a suicide bomber
exploded his vehicle alongside a bus carrying Kurdish militiamen in the
city, killing at least nine people, including seven militiamen and two
passers-by, and wounding nine more, officials said. Along with Iraq's
majority Shiites, Kurds back the upcoming elections, and the bombing
may have been an attempt to drag them into a civil war. [more] and [more]
- More than 30 Iraqis Killed in Past Two Days [more]
