9 U.S. Troops Killed In New Iraq Offensive
Military Says 6 Soldiers Killed In Booby-Trapped House In Diyala; 3 Others Die In Salahuddin
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U.S. army soldiers from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, inspect the damage on an armored vehicle after it was hit by a roadside bomb during the initial phase of Operation Raider Harvest in the volatile Diyala province, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008. The U.S. military said Wednesday that six American soldiers were killed in booby-trapped house during the operation in Diyala. (AP Photo)
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The two deadly attacks came as many militants fled American and Iraqi forces massing in Diyala, a province of palm and citrus groves that has defied the trend toward lower violence. The campaign's scope is nationwide but is mostly focused on gaining control of the province and its most important city, Baqouba, which al Qaeda has declared the capital of its self-styled Islamic caliphate.
Six soldiers were killed and four were wounded Wednesday in a booby-trapped house in Diyala. The military also announced that three U.S. soldiers were killed and two were wounded in an attack Tuesday in Salahuddin province, north of Diyala.
All indications are that the al Qaeda fighters retreated north from Diyala, presumably to Salahuddin, before the current operation began Tuesday, said the top U.S. commander in northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling.
"Operational security in Iraq is a problem," Hertling said Wednesday, noting that the Iraqi army uses unsecured cell phones and radios. "I'm sure there is active leaking of communication."
Only Baghdad province has been deadlier than Diyala the past two years, according to an Associated Press count.
And while violence has declined over the past six months in Baghdad and many other places in Iraq, much of Diyala has remained a killing field. At least 273 civilians were slain in Diyala last month, compared to 213 in June. Over the same span, monthly civilian deaths in Baghdad dropped from 838 to 182.
The reason for the surge of bloodshed is that insurgents who were pushed out of the western province of Anbar and out of Baghdad shifted their operations into Diyala, U.S. commanders say.
Still, the tree-lined farm region is more difficult terrain for fighting insurgents than the desert of Anbar, suggesting Diyala may not have seen the last of al Qaeda in Iraq. Compounding the difficulty for the military is the checkerboard pattern of Shiite and Sunni communities adjacent to one another.
The military will need a period of peace and stability to meet its goal of speeding up work on basic services and other civic projects that commanders believe will win more allies for the American effort.
Speaking in Baghdad, Hertling said there would be three basic phases to the offensive:
First, U.S. and Iraqi forces will try to clear areas of insurgents. Iraqi police will then move in to establish some law and order. Finally, the "Awakening Groups" or "Concerned Local Citizens" - mostly Sunni fighters who have joined the Americans in battling al Qaeda - will be relied upon to maintain stability after troops move on.
It is these Awakening Groups that are al Qaeda's bulls-eye of the moment. The terror group, perhaps spurred by Osama bin Laden's audio message late last year, has been carrying out suicide strikes on civilians who have sided with the Americans against al Qaeda in Iraq.
There have been other types of attacks as well. Hertling showed a video taken by a U.S. drone showing militants in Diyala dragging a man from the trunk of a car, throwing him into a ditch and then shooting him.
Asked about the timing of the U.S. operation, Hertling said the answer was simple.
"Why now? Because we can. Baghdad is more secure. Anbar is more secure," he said. "Why now? Because ... the enemy has moved into these (northern) provinces."
Hertling said that in his area of control - Diyala, Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Nineveh provinces - 24,000 American soldiers, 50,000 members of the Iraq army and 80,000 Iraqi police are taking part in the offensive against al Qaeda in Iraq.
"There are more U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Diyala now than there ever has been," he said. "We're attempting to increase the tempo of operations in that specific province."
Hertling said his troops had killed 20 to 30 insurgents so far.
Meanwhile, in Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, a pair of nearly simultaneous car bombings damaged two Christian churches and wounded two people, according to a senior police officer there. Brig. Sarhat Qadir said the bombings at the Chaldean church of the Heart of Jesus and the Assyrian church of Mar Afram took place within 10 minutes of each other.
The two churches, about 700 yards apart, were empty at the time of the attacks, which came after a series of bombings Sunday targeted three churches in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. No one was hurt in those attacks.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, told the Vatican's ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday that his government was working to ensure the safety of Christians in the country.
Christians, who make up about 3 percent of Iraq's estimated 26 million people, have been frequent targets of attacks by militants since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Many have fled to neighboring countries.
In other developments:
Service Association, the union that represents U.S. diplomats.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 76 CommentsRe: "Nine American soldiers were killed in the first two days of a new American drive to kill al Qaeda in Iraq fighters..."
9 more dead soldiers in an illegal and self-defeating war of aggression; dead from chasing the imaginary MADE-in-USA psy-ops hoax, known as "al-Qaeda-in-Iraq".
Didn''t the Butcher of Crawford tell us that this ficticious group was defeated, again?
We need to impeach ASAP.
From the last known journalist at CBS:
"Why our troops must leave Iraq"
By Walter Cronkite and David Krieger
The American people no longer support the war in Iraq. The war is being carried on by a stubborn president who, like Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War, does not want to lose. But from the beginning this has been an ill-considered and poorly prosecuted war that, like the Vietnam War, has diminished respect for America. We believe Mr. Bush would like to drag the war on long enough to hand it off to another president.
The war in Iraq reminds us of the tragedy of the Vietnam War. Both wars began with false assertions by the president to the American people and the Congress. Like Vietnam, the Iraq War has introduced a new vocabulary: "shock and awe," "mission accomplished," "the surge." Like Vietnam, we have destroyed cities in order to save them. It is not a strategy for success.
The Bush administration has attempted to forestall ending the war by putting in more troops, but more troops will not solve the problem. We have lost the hearts and minds of most of the Iraqi people, and victory no longer seems to be even a remote possibility. It is time to end our occupation of Iraq, and bring our troops home.
More at:
www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinion/x1211480742
%u201CWhy we stand for immediate withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq%u201D
%u201CTHE U.S. occupation of Iraq has not liberated the Iraqi people, but has made life worse for most Iraqis.%u201D
%u201CTens of thousands of U.S. service people have been killed or maimed, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have lost their lives as a result of the U.S. invasion in 2003, the ongoing occupation, and the violence unleashed by them.%u201D
%u201CIraq''s infrastructure has been destroyed, and U.S. plans for reconstruction abandoned. There is less electricity, less clean drinking water, and more unemployment today than before the U.S. invasion.%u201D
%u201CAll of the justifications initially provided by the U.S. for waging war on Iraq have been exposed as lies; the real reasons for the invasion %u2014 to control Iraq''s oil reserves and to increase U.S. strategic influence in the region %u2014 now stand revealed.%u201D
%u201CThe Bush administration has insisted again and again that stability, democracy, and prosperity are around the next bend in the road%u2026But the U.S. has deliberately stoked sectarian divisions in its ongoing attempt to install a U.S.-friendly regime, thus driving Iraq towards civil war.%u201D
%u201CWe call on the U.S. to get out of Iraq %u2014 not in six months, not in a year, but now.%u201D
www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow
The failed policy of the scared imperialistic neocons must be ended ASAP hopefully through impeachment. Those who don''t stand with the majority are the ones who should leave if they don''t like it. We progressives want to stay to make things better.
2007 was the deadliest year so far for American troops. Looks like Bush is trying to best himself in 2008. Stay the curse!
rohink,
Re: "Any compassion for those that lost their lives?"
Do you feel badly for the 1 million+ dead Iraqis, or the millions more that have been maimed, imprisoned, raped tortured, displaced, soddomized, and/or impoverished, as a result of this fraud-based and criminal war of aggression, waged by our Resident?
There is no war in Iraq. Everything you read about, and see on TV is a fabrication by the Iranians trying to start a war with the most benevolent nation on earth. Americans are a people of peace.
Posted by Edward1975 at 04:52 PM : Jan 09, 2008
No weapons of mass destruction, no democracy, the surge is working, all Iraquis are back home, have water and electricity, we have all the oil Bush wants and our troops are coming home---yep pretty much achieved I''d say------NOT!!!
THe surge IS working, violence is down, even your beloved DEms like Murtha have admitted it.
If it not for the Islamic militants basic services would be restored by now.
THe Iraqis are returning, CBS news reported that story.
30,000 troops are scheduled to come home in the next 6 months as per announced.
So what are you talking about?????
We don''t belong there.
Who put Sadam in power? Who provided Sadam with those weapons?
The US took out what they created---and not for weapons of mass destruction but for oil.
Bush invaded an unarmed country--Bin Laden was not in Iraq!
The surge may SEEM to be working--do you really believe we scared them off? Naw--I don''t trust them anymore than I trust Bush---maybe Bush and Cheney know where they are-wouldn''t surprise me!
Arm our men with only robes, sandals, AK-47s, RPGs, and some explosives. No air support, no advanced communications or GPS, no artillery except small mortars, no tanks, no armored vehicles, etc. I''m betting our men wouldn''t we willing to do that.
And the more evil and brutal we become, the more who will turn against us, forever.
ST
"A brutal hand is despised by all it touches."
SearingTruth
"We became evil to fight evil, assuring its victory."
SearingTruth
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com
The surge is working. Tap Tap Tap.
The surge is working. Tap Tap Tap.
There''s no place like home. Tap Tap Tap.
And now Cons, this isn''t a Larry Craig reference.
What they have done to this country and the Iraquis is history that will never be forgotten--what a legacy.
It is frightening to see what two uncontrolled people can do with no oversight and no remorse.
Sadly, it will be up to the next president to "fix" what these people have done, not only to this nation, but how other nations regard us.
Hopefully soon, we''ll all be able to walk with our heads held high and be proud to be Americans again.
(1) get ALL media out of Iraq
(2) prohibit all journalists, all reporting
(3) just fight like crazy to win. Whatever it takes, just do it.
Yep--going after Al Queda/terrorists is sort of like fishing in the ocean trying to catch the last fish!!
Can anyone say DUH??????????????
Posted by samt66 at 06:11 PM
HAhahahahahahahahaha--best joke of the year so far!!
When the right wingnuts are proven to be wrong headed they start advocating violence. Not very Christian. Pretty hypocritical actually.
The failed policy of the scared imperialistic neocons must be ended ASAP hopefully through impeachment. Those who don''t stand with the majority are the ones who should leave if they don''t like it. We progressives want to stay to make things better.
as for the Iraqi''s no one knows how many of them are dieing, seen reporter out there lately?
Centuries of sectarian division cannot be ''cured'' by a few more American troops. Security was temporarily tightened, but more troops died last year than ever.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has little incentive to act when American troops remain to provide some security and stability.
In truth, al Qaeda has regrouped, bin Laden is still at large, Afghanistan is still a quagmire and Pakistan is now melting down.
Bu$h and Cheney are not held responsible even now. Why not? Are they better liars now than in the past?
No - they are still just liars, but Congress is on the take, and getting richer.
Nothing will change until average Americans get off their butts and hold politicians responsible at last.
These are YOUR tax dollars they are spewing into the already-rich Middle East...
Don''t pay any attention to the war mongers they are a minority.
Where''s the money coming from?
Print more of them! Bush and Cheney are very good at printing money in their basement.
Look at how far the mighty dollar has fallen since they took office!
Posted by mocaleo at 06:57 PM : Jan 09, 2008
According to Comeback-grandad McCain, it could be 100 years!
Worldwide Coverage of the Sibel Edmonds Bombshell!
And in the United States of America...um....
Good news! The bombshell report on the front page of London''s Sunday Times on charges made by former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, has finally led to press coverage by the mainstream media!
From one side of the globe to the other, as expected, the explosive whistleblower allegations concerning highly-placed, well-known U.S. officials in the Departments of State and Defense involved in an illicit, for-profit scheme to develop and protect a network of spies, who then stole and sold American nuclear secrets to the international black markets via Turkey, Israel and Pakistan, is now worldwide news!
That, even though the Times only covered "about 20%" of the story she has to tell, according to Edmonds, with whom we spoke late last night.
Sunday''s British blockbuster, detailing how nuclear secrets were then proliferated to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and potentially even al-Qaeda, was picked up on Monday and reported by international mainstream outlets such as The Times of India, Pakistan''s Daily Times, Iran''s PressTV, Israel''s Haaretz and even the Turkish Daily News.
Here in the United States, the mainstream media coverage included:
That''s right. Nobody. None of them. Zilch.
Edmonds told The BRAD BLOG last night that her phone had been ringing of the hook since the Times story hit. From reporters around the globe, she said. As to America: "Not a single mainstream media channel, not even a newspaper."
Apparently American nuclear secrets, stolen by "moles" at America''s most sensitive nuclear installations, sold on the black market with the help and protection of highly placed American officials, which then found their way into the hands of America''s enemies, is not notable news to Americans. According to the American corporate mainstream media, anyway. We suppose they''re all too busy fighting the War on Terror in New Hampshire or something.
And you wonder how our country got into this mess?
Edmonds was no longer amazed by it all. We still are.
(Hat-tip to Mizgnn, a Kurdish blogger at Rastn, for her collection of foreign press articles covering the Sunday Times story. Note: Mizgnn also has some harsh words for the coverage of our friend Larisa Alexandrovna of RAW STORY at that same link. We are friends with Alexandrovna, and are thus likely compromised on this point. So we''ll stay out of it for now and let each of them deal with the particulars as they see fit.)
UPDATE 6:22pm PT Credit where it''s due. Independent American broadcast media outlet, INN World Report, seen on some satellite TV providers, covered the report in detail, including an interview with yours truly...
[Posted by michaelt302 at 06:44 PM : Jan 09, 2008]
what defines winning?
What is the difference between BozoMan desperately
searching for a positive legacy and DiarrheaMan
just discovring that his toilet broke?
The answer is off to the right of this
WIN WHAT????????????????????????????????
It''s like shooting fish in a barrel!!!
If it''s so easy--why haven''t we caught Bin Laden yet??? Why are most of the names on the FBI terrorist list Americans? Why haven''t ALL the terrorists all over the world been caught yet?
How long have we been in Iraq????
We don''t give a RA if they are living back into the 1400''s- that''s how long "those" people have been fighting---WE"RE NOT!!
And YES I have a grandson who has been to Iraq and is currently on standby AGAIN!!
Cowards??? I''ll bet most of those who blog here HAVE been in a conflict or two and they are against this debacle of a war!
What will we have achieved OIL for George?? Just exactly WHAT will we WIN???????????????????
[Posted by michaelt302 at 06:44 PM : Jan 09, 2008]
what defines winning?
Posted by bobnjersey at 07:11 PM : Jan 09, 2008
We have been winning for a looong time...
Remember "Mission Accomplished" - 5/1/2003
osama bin laden scored a lucky hit on the world trade towers, he never had a thought in his head about them collapsing,
the tragedy here is that a criminal administration has gotten to manipulate the american people into borrrowing 9 TRILLION DOLLARS out of a self created fear of another attack as phony as this war.
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 07:46 PM :
Probably because Osama is in Pakistan!
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