Today in Iraq

War News for October 29, 2003 Bring 'em on: Two US soldiers killed, one wounded in bomb ambush near Balad. Bring 'em on: Seven Ukrainian soldiers wounded in ambush near As Suwayrah. Bring 'em on: Mortar attack on Baghdad bridge, RPGs fired at Baghdad University building. Bring 'em on: Police station in Mosul under RPG attack. Three civilians killed. Bring 'em on: Central Baghdad mortared. Bring 'em on: US soldier killed, six wounded in Baghdad RPG ambush. Bring 'em on: Katyusha rockets fired at US position near Kirkuk. Bring 'em on: Iraqi newspaper editor assassinated in Mosul. Bring 'em on: Two attacks on US troops reported near Samarra. Bring 'em on: Five US soldiers wounded in mine attack. Bring 'em on: Update. No link, but I just heard a report on NPR that there have been over 200 attacks on American troops in the last 7 days. I don't know if that number includes attacks on other coalition forces, Iraqi police and Iraqis working for the CPA. In any case, the US media has screwed the pooch covering this war despite Bush's snivelling about media bias. Halliburton contract extended. "Citing new damage to Iraq's oil industry from saboteurs, the Bush administration Wednesday delayed its planned replacement of a lucrative no-bid contract that was awarded to Halliburton--Vice President Dick Cheney's former company.' L. Paul Bremer: Not ready for Iraqi prime time TV. "To many Iraqis, though, Bremer's prime-time addresses are more reminiscent of the regular television appearances of former president Saddam Hussein, according to both American and Iraqi media specialists who have studied IMN, the Iraqi Media Network." You mean Iraqis aren't impressed with his designer combat boots? Analysis: Polls and propaganda. "There are important lessons here; lessons policy-makers ought to heed if they are to help Iraq move forward. What Iraqis appear to be telling us is that they have hope for the future, but they want the help of their neighbours more than that of the US. That may not be what Washington wants to hear, but it ought to listen. Because if policymakers continue to bend the data to meet their desired policy, then this hole they are digging will only get deeper." Troop health. Saddam's revenge to severe stress. Arrest warrants issued for AWOL soldiers. As far as I can tell, this is for real and not some cornpone version of "The Onion." US General: "There is no indication that Saddam Hussein is controlling or directing the present wave of attacks in Iraq." Idiot Watch Wolfie: "We'll stand and fight." Speaking from a FOX TV studio with Brit Hume kissing his chickenhawk ass, of course. Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS): "'Honestly, it’s a little tougher than I thought it was going to be,' Lott said. In a sign of frustration, he offered an unorthodox military solution: 'If we have to, we just mow the whole place down, see what happens. You’re dealing with insane suicide bombers who are killing our people, and we need to be very aggressive in taking them out.'" Spoken like a true chickenhawk! Seriously, I now realize why Trent and the cons were so opposed to American participation in the International Criminal Court. Commentary Beirut: "My vote for the Strange Statement of the Week Award goes to Brigadier General Mark Hertling, deputy commander of the 1st Armored Division of the US Army, stationed in Iraq, who told reporters Monday that the coordinated bombings in Baghdad that day were the work of “foreign fighters.”...He gets the award for the sheer audacity and haughty self-indulgence of being a foreign fighter in Iraq blaming other foreign fighters for the violence there." Casualty Reports Local story: Missouri soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Wisconsin soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: Ohio soldier wounded in Iraq.