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04/15/2006:

"Sunni group demands action as body count surges in Iraq"

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Sunni Arab political leaders said Thursday that nearly 90 Sunnis had been reported abducted or killed in the past two days by groups with possible ties to the nation's Shiite Muslim-led Interior Ministry forces.

In one incident, up to 25 men just released from detention were reportedly whisked away by gunmen in SUVs. The Sunnis also allege that 20 corpses turned up in Baghdad, all people reportedly abducted by security forces on the morning of April 4.
seattletimes.nwsource.com


Iraq unrest forces 65,000 to flee
At least 65,000 Iraqis have fled their homes as a result of sectarian violence and intimidation, according to new figures from the Iraqi government.

And the rate at which Iraqis are being displaced is increasing.

Figures given to the BBC by the Ministry for Displacement and Migration show a doubling in the last two weeks of the number of Iraqis forced to move.


April 12: U.S. Death Toll in Iraq This Month Hits 35
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Four more American soldiers were killed in Iraq, the U.S. military said as the U.S. death toll for the month surpassed the total for all of March. More than 40 Iraqis also died, including at least 22 in a car bombing near a Shiite mosque northeast of Baghdad.


April 14: Nine US troops killed in Iraq over 4 days; Two-stars demands Rumsfeld resign
WASHINGTON (Agencies): A recently retired two-star general who just a year ago commanded a US Army division in Iraq on Wednesday joined a small but growing list of former senior officers to call on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign. “I believe we need a fresh start in the Pentagon. We need a leader who understands teamwork, a leader who knows how to build teams, a leader that does it without intimidation,” Maj Gen John Batiste, who commanded the Germany-based 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, said in an interview on CNN.

In recent weeks, retired Marine Corps Lt Gen Gregory Newbold, Army Maj Gen Paul Eaton and Marine Corps Gen Anthony Zinni all spoke out against Rumsfeld. This comes as opinion polls show eroding public support for the 3-year-old war in which about 2,360 US troops have died. “You know, it speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense,” Batiste said. “But when decisions are made without taking into account sound military recommendations, sound military decision making, sound planning, then we’re bound to make mistakes.”

...Nine US soldiers have been killed across Iraq in the past four days, including three in roadside bombings Wednesday morning, the US military said. Two were killed when their vehicle was struck by a bomb south of Baghdad at around 9:20 am (0520 GMT) Wednesday, and another died in a similar bombing east of Baghdad.
Three soldiers died on Tuesday after their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. One soldier died on Monday from wounds suffered in enemy action on Sunday while operating in the western Al-Anbar province. Near Balad, north of Baghdad, a soldier was killed Sunday when his patrol was hit by a roadside bomb, the military said, adding that another was wounded.

A soldier from the 101st Airborne Division died on Monday in a “non-battle injury” at the US base of Sykes, near Tall Afar in northern Iraq. An investigation is underway. The latest fatalities brought the US military personnel death toll in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion to 2,364 according to an AFP count based on Pentagon figures. President Bush’s claim three years ago that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq was based on US intelligence that was later proved false. Spokesman Scott McClellan vigorously denied suggestions that Bush was making claims that already had been debunked when he said that two small trailers seized in Iraq were mobile biological laboratories.