BAGHDAD, March 12, 2008
Iraq Rocket Attack Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers
12 U.S. Deaths Over Past Three Days Marks Significant Rise In Deadly Attacks Against Americans
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A U.S. soldier stands in front of a bus that was hit by a roadside bomb near Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, March, 11, 2008. At least 16 civilians aboard died and another 22 were wounded in the blast. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
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The aftermath of a suicide attack that killed five U.S. soldiers in Baghdad. (AP /APTN)
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A U.S. soldier of 3rd Brigade Combat team, 3rd Infantry Division aims his rifle beside a military vehicle during a patrol at Al-leg, Iraq, an area about 40 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq on Monday, March 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Cpt. Jim Hathaway from Columbus, GA, of 3rd Brigade Combat team, 3rd Infantry Division plays soccer with Iraqi children during a joint U.S.-Republic of Georgia army patrol in the Al-leg area of Iraq, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, on March 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Interactive American Heroes Profiles of U.S. soldiers who've died in Iraq, a look at the war's toll and pictures of mourning.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
On Wednesday, the U.S. military acknowledged that a roadside bomb targeting a passing U.S. convoy had struck near a passenger bus, a day after initially claiming no one died in the attack.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner could not confirm the number of casualties, but said no U.S. forces were involved in any gunfire that followed.
"We are still working with Iraqi security forces, and those now investigating the detailed circumstances of that attack, to learn whatever else we can," Bergner said.
Dr. Hadi Badr al-Riyahi, head of the Nasiriyah provincial health directorate, confirmed that the attack on the bus traveling from Najaf to Basra killed 16 civilians and wounded 20 about 50 miles south of Nasiriyah.
At the time of the attack, a local policeman and the assistant bus driver also said 16 people were killed on the bus, which was riddled with holes that appeared to be caused by shrapnel or bullets.
On Tuesday, violence reportedly killed a total of at least 42 people across Iraq. The sudden spike comes in the wake of a 60 percent drop in attacks across the country since June, according to U.S. military figures.
According to an AP count, at the height of unrest from November 2006 to August 2007, on average approximately 65 Iraqis died each day as a result of violence. As conditions improved, the daily death toll steadily declined. It reached its lowest point in more than two years on January 2008, when on average 20 Iraqis died each day.
Those numbers have since jumped. In February, approximately 26 Iraqis died each day as a result of violence, and so far in March, that number is up to 39 daily. These figures reflect the months in which people were found, and not necessarily - in the case of mass graves - the months in which they were killed.
In other developments:
The U.S. military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The fighting comes two weeks after Turkey's eight-day incursion into northern Iraq to flush out the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, who have been battling the Turkish government since
1984.
© 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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- Save an AMERICAN SOLDIER!! IMPEACH BUSH and CHENEY now!
- Reply to this comment
- A "war" that would never have happened if the terrorists didn''t know that the News Media and the Liberals were on their side. Our real enemies are here. Save an American Soldier - Kill a Liberal.
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- The UN abandoned Iraq once. The world ignored it. The US news media supports the terrorists by spreading their propaganda, and the Democrats share the terrorists''goals.
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- "We believe that the only opportunity left for Iraq to be saved from a dark, but not inevitable future, is to engage the international community represented by the United Nations," the letter said. "Such a step will allow the American troops to leave and the occupation to be brought to its end."
Makes sense to me!! - Reply to this comment
- The United Nations should have been completely involved since the very beginning...This is a problem for the whole world...not just the United States.
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Posted by guadalcanal3 at 04:24 AM : Mar 13, 2008
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Duh?? Did you miss something here? Don''t you remember Powell going to the UN, lying his behind off? Don''t you remember our former friends almost begging the Loser in Charge to wait, to give the Inspectors more time? Don''t you remember the "Freedom Fries"? Man the UN and our friends did everything they could to keep Sir Lies-A-Lot from getting us into this mess. Let''s not blame them!! - Reply to this comment
- You notice the Democrat lies in this story. The headline reads "IRAQ rockets" when the world knows that IRAQ terrorists and militants have no rockets. They get rockets, guns, bombs, money, training and support from their friends, IRAN, Al Qaeda and Democrats. the Democrats are actually happy about the genocide because it helps thier evil political agenda. And these are the people that want to run America.
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Posted by demslie at 06:17 AM : Mar 13, 2008
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I must say, for a simple minded Nazi, you are good. I noticed you shifted your hate target from "liberals" to "Democrats". Now how you know the political leanings of those who wrote the story is beyond me, but that has never mattered to a Nazi before has it. You do not address the most obvious issue, the fact that the NUMBER of American''s is beginning to increase again. Instead you focus on where the militants get their weapons! Take my word as a Vietnam Vet there Sparky, if they want to fight you, they will find a way, even if they have to use stones. Regardless I have to give you the Bootliker Award this morning for being creative in your hatred for those who have had NOTHING to do with the insanity of Iraq. a BIG SIEG HEIL to you... - Reply to this comment
- You notice the Democrat lies in this story. The headline reads "IRAQ rockets" when the world knows that IRAQ terrorists and militants have no rockets. They get rockets, guns, bombs, money, training and support from their friends, IRAN, Al Qaeda and Democrats. the Democrats are actually happy about the genocide because it helps thier evil political agenda. And these are the people that want to run America.
- Reply to this comment
- The United Nations should have been completely involved since the very beginning...This is a problem for the whole world...not just the United States.
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- singinrick,,,, Anything comming from you has got to be wrong.
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- kissamy***, You don''t know how close you are to the
truth. Bush is in direct negotiation with "his" man
in Iraq, Prime Minister Maliki, to ensure that US
troops remain deployed in Iraq long beyond the mandated time period. He is setting up this agreement (SOFA) in such a way that it by-passes
the need for congressional approval, and is so
far beyond the powers given to the President by
the US Constitution that it is frightening. His
whole invasion of Iraq was at the behest of Exxon,
Shell (British), BP (British) and Chevron, and
not because of wmd''s or Saddam''s so called connection
to AlQueda. This agreement literally provides a
security force for big oil developments in Iraq at
the expense of the US taxpayer. These oil companies
forced the new Iraqi Oil Ministry into a huge profit
sharing agreement, stealing the funds that should
belong to the Iraqi people for reconstruction.
How much more of this is our country willing to take? - Reply to this comment
- McSame. "We''ll be in Iraq 100 years." No thanks! $265 Million per day of our money X 365 days per year X 100 years. Do the math. John McCain is so insane. And he wants to start a war with Iran, too.
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- Iraq 2011
Four troops were killed today by a roadside bomb outside of Baghdad. President McCain continues to stand by his belief that the 3rd surge in U.S. forces will be successful in rooting out Al-Qaeda in Iraq. - Reply to this comment
- 4000 American lives, 1 million Iraqi lives and 3 trillion dollars. The cost so far to protect the United States from the "imminent threat" of Saddam Hussein''s "weapons of mass destruction".
A worthy cause indeed. - Reply to this comment
- Time for Surge 2.0. The Cons will eat it up like candy.
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- The surge is not working.
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- I do notthink we shoul take out our frustrations on Bush''s and Cheney''s kids. They can''t help who their parents are. The solutiion is to send Bush and Cheney to Iraq or Afghanastan, tell Alquaida when they are coming and where to find them.
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- I don''t care what reason they use, i just want to see us get out of Iraq as much as the Iraqui''s want us to get out. It is another no win situation and we can''t afford to pay for this fiasco any longer.
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- While today has 6 more murders by the Chaney regime, the 4$ a gallon gas prices are just over the horizon. Our national debt, held by China, the Saudis and Bush''s friends/handlers hit 9 trillion $. Yippie for the GOP and McCain whom promise 4 more years. Chaoes if we redeploy to Afganistan or Dafur? BS. There has been chaoes in Iraq for 5 years and millions dead or "cleansed" from their homes. Thanks George.
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- underdogus,,,, You tink there is an "if" there ??
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- There is one and only one reason that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan has a positive spin. It gives our enemies a chance to attack American''s in an environment wherein we don''t endanger OUR civilian population when we shoot back.
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