Today in Iraq

War News for January 6, 2004 Draft Bring 'em on: Iraqi policeman wounded in rocket attack in Kirkuk. Bring 'em on: One US contractor and five Iraqi civilians killed in convoy ambush near Mahmudiyah. Bring 'em on: Three US soldiers and Iraqi interpreter wounded in two bomb ambushes in Tikrit. US base in Tikrit also attacked by small arms fire. Bring 'em on: Two French contractors killed in drive-by shooting in Fallujah. Bring 'em on: One Iraqi killed, three wounded by roadside bomb in Kirkuk. Iraqi police open fire on demonstrators in Basra. US troops open fire on demonstrators in Baghdad. Ambush activity in Iraq. Iraqi Resistance Report for the period January 1 - 4, 2004. The language used in this report makes it clear that it was written from an intensely anti-US perspective. For this reason, I haven't included this source in past updates because I have found some of their claims exaggerated. But since the US media has utterly failed to adequately report on events in Iraq, I will include this source in future updates. Pentagon considers creating four-star unified command structure for Iraq. "Iraq military operations are now directed at the tactical level by a three-star officer, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez. He, in turn, reports to Gen. John Abizaid, who, as U.S. Central Command chief, has responsibility for military operations not only in Iraq but throughout the region…The sources said a new four-star would bring added clout and focus to the strategic goals of integrating the emerging 220,000-person Iraq security force with the new local government scheduled to take power July 1. The commander would also coordinate military relations with whatever succeeds the current Coalition Provisional Authority now led by L. Paul Bremer." Army "clears" Halliburton of price-gouging. "The head of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers, said Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root unit will not need to provide "any cost and pricing data" relating to a contract to deliver millions of gallons of gasoline from Kuwait to Iraq, the paper said, citing a previously undisclosed Dec. 19 ruling." Iraqi Sunnis form national council. "But the formation of the Sunni council could also complicate U.S. plans for transition to Iraqi sovereignty by July 1, because the Sunnis would be in a stronger position to resist these efforts. The council, for instance, is demanding that the next Iraqi government be selected by direct election rather than through local caucuses, as U.S. officials prefer." Pentagon changes contracting policy. "The Pentagon and White House denied publicly there was a shift in policy, but diplomatic sources and some officials said the United States was trying to adopt a more liberal definition of who belonged to the coalition, suggesting countries that agreed to restructure Iraq's debt might be eligible." US releases detained journalists. New Stop-Loss rules put into effect. Al Franken entertains the troops in Iraq. Casualty Reports Local story: Indiana soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Nebraska soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Illinois soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: Iowa soldier wounded in Iraq.