BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2006
Army Tries To Quell Violence In Balad
U.S. Troops And Iraqi Forces Attempt To Contain Sectarian Fighting; Nearly 100 Dead In 5 Days
-
Play CBS Video Video Warner And Nunn On Iraq Senator John Warner (R-VA) and Former Senator Sam Nunn talk about the right course for the U.S. to take in Iraq.
-
Video Eye To Eye: Iraq Roundtable Only On The Web: Katie Couric talks with three experts about the violence in Iraq and what the United States can do about it; then files her daily notebook.
-
Video General Clarifies Iraq Comment After suggesting that British troops be withdrawn from Iraq, Gen. Richard Dannatt, is backpedaling through the firestorm his comment caused. Charlie D'Agata reports.
-
-
People stand by a pool of blood on the spot where at least 17 people died in a car bombing the previous night, in Baghdad, Oct. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
-
Children view a pile of broken chairs at the spot where 17 people died in a car bombing the previous night, in Baghdad, Oct. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
-
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein adjusts his headphones as he listens to witness testimony during his trial in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, Oct. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/David Furst)
-
-
Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
-
Photo Essay Iraq: The Last 12 Months A photo recap of events in Iraq over the last year.
-
Who's Who Iraq Insurgency More on the militant groups behind the insurgency in Iraq and their motivations.
For example, unidentified gunmen in police uniforms hijacked 13 civilian cars with their occupants at Sayed Gharib checkpoint about four miles outside Balad on Monday night, an officer at the Salahuddin provincial police headquarters said.
The officer said the incident took place after police had left the checkpoint for the evening. He said he had been told those abducted had been taken to nearby area, but there was no further word on their fate. The officer spoke only on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to media.
The head of Iraq's security commission angrily accused the government of failing to resolve the crisis. Residents also blamed American forces — there is a base located right next door to Balad — for failing to intervene. But U.S. officials said they couldn't act until asked by Iraqi officials, reports CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan.
As the violence had raged over the weekend, the American military initially said it had not been asked for help. By Monday, the military indicated some involvement but issued only a vague statement. The final and more definitive but still imprecise description of U.S. involvement was issued by Tuesday.
"By coordinating all of our efforts, we have seen a marked decrease in violence in the past 24 hours," said Lt. Col. Jeffery Martindale, commander of 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. forces were also firing back at insurgents launching mortar attacks on civilians in the area, he said.
Iraqi deaths are running at a high rate. According to an Associated Press count, 708 Iraqis have been reported killed in war-related violence this month, or just more than 44 per day, compared to a daily average of more than 27 since the AP began tracking deaths in April 2005.
In other developments:
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
- "We didn't win WWII by waging a media war, we destroyed whole cities."
I think you're missing the point. WWII was a classic case of state vs. state with a known and visible enemy. This "war" is a Vietnam style event with a hidden enemy and for "the hearts and minds."
I agree though, the only way to win this war is to kill every man, woman and child. That way there would be no hearts and minds to "win" and there would be peace.
Of course, this is not only gastly, but politically impossible so the only other way to stop the blood letting of our troops is to move them out of harms way.
We've spent billions constructing bases in the desert between Iraq and Iran. Time we started using them and let the Iraqis kill each other. They were destined to do it once Saddam was taken out, might as well let them conclude this the old fashioned way.
The only other way out of this mess is to free Saddam and let him take care of business. That would be politically impossible too! - Reply to this comment
- I bet Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and all the other morons in power are still slapping each other on the back thinking that they've done a great job in Iraq.
It must be great living in *their* world.
You've just got to love the delusional. - Reply to this comment
- Looking @ that pool of blood, I can't help but think: God help us all!
- Reply to this comment
- "You've got a situation where it's not possible to lose militarily," Rumsfeld said.
This kind of arrogance borders on stupidity. How soon he forgets Vietnam. Same military, same mentality of leadership, outcome: probably the same.
I wish Mr. Bush would fire this guy and get someone in who understands the situation. - Reply to this comment
- frankly6 you are too funny! I know this isnt funny...the whole thing is a f*** story....In or out where already in to deep. I say F it just immigrate the hell outta here soon!
- Reply to this comment
- I fear that it will never be over. Every time the US leaves a section thinking that it is okay, the bad ones come back in and start killing all over again.
Note to frankly6 - It IS their oil, since it is in their country. - Reply to this comment
- You see, the problem with leaving Iraq now is that they live on top of so much of our oil. If we left, they might think it belongs to them.
- Reply to this comment
- You people just don't know freedom when you see it. Can't you see this war is going great? The Iraqis are just setting off explosions an shooting up stuff to celebrate. It's like the 4th of July every day over there. Stay the course! Don't kut-n-run! Freedom's on the march!
Hey what do you call Iraqis who want us to leave their country as soon as possible? Kut-n-run Iraqis! - Reply to this comment
- cbscrash07: your argument is pathetic.
Are you telling me that you can't see a difference between violent crime and the organized, systematic religious warfare that is raging in Iraq?
Even your body-count argument is shoddy. The U.S. has the most violent crime per capita than any industrialized nation in the world. I'd say that a violent-death rate that is 4 times greater than the U.S.'s is quite alarming.
Why don't you just admit that you will say anything to support Bush and Co. no matter what the truth is? While your at it, why don't you make an argument against a responsive government and for completely unrestrained executive power?
Moron. - Reply to this comment
- Hope you're happy Dubya. You've done a really great job of bringing freedom and democracy to the Iraqi people. They can hear the bells of freedom ringing in between the bomb blasts and rifle fire. Hell, there might even be a few of them left alive to enjoy it!
- Reply to this comment
Ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy 
