April deadliest month for US in Iraq in 7 months. May 1, 9:43 PM (ET) By KIM GAMEL BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. death toll for April rose to 18, the military said Friday, making it the deadliest in seven months for American forces in Iraq. The sharp increase from the previous month came as a series of bombings also pushed Iraqi deaths to their highest level this year. In the latest violence, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a restaurant on the reservoir of Iraq's largest dam near the northern city of Mosul. At least five people were killed and 10 wounded, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. The spike in attacks has raised concerns that insurgents are stepping up their efforts to re-ignite sectarian bloodshed as well as questions about the readiness of the Iraqis to take over responsibility for their own security as U.S. troops begin to withdraw. U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. David Perkins blamed the recent bombings on al-Qaida in Iraq, saying the terror network is making a push to regain influence, particularly in Baghdad. "We have had some increase in the number of these high-profile attacks, but nowhere near what we were seeing a year or a year and half ago," he said Friday in a briefing for reporters. The Iraqi and the U.S. militaries also have faced new hurdles as Iraqi officials grow more assertive about enforcing a security agreement that regulates the conduct of American troops in the field. Iraq also has not yielded to American requests to allow access to a captured militant Iraqi authorities claim is the head of Iraq's main al-Qaida front group, Perkins said. Authorities described Abu Omar al-Baghdadi's capture last week as a major setback for Sunni insurgents trying to intensify attacks after a relative lull. But the U.S. military has questioned his existence in the past. "The detainee that the Iraqis are calling al-Baghdadi is in the custody of the Iraqi security forces, and we have not had any access to him," Perkins said. "We are in discussions with the Iraqis to determine how we can confirm or deny who he is." In the past, the U.S. military has been the one to detain and announce high-profile detainees who are captured or killed, such as the 2006 death of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Tensions also rose Friday in northern Iraq after American forces killed two men during a raid in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The provincial governor's office and tribal leaders said the raid violated the security agreement regulating U.S. forces' conduct and demanded an apology. The U.S. military, however, said it was an Iraqi-led joint operation and the two men killed were suspected of planting roadside bombs. The suspects were armed and resisted arrest, according to a statement, adding that U.S. troops shot the two men "for their own safety and the safety of their Iraqi partners." Security was tightened in Tikrit after hundreds of angry mourners - some firing weapons into the air - took to the streets to protest the killings. The demonstrators shouted "Down with America!" and promised revenge. The action came nearly a week after anger broke out over a deadly U.S. raid in the southern Shiite city of Kut. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called that raid a "crime" that violated the security pact. Most of the recent violence has targeted Iraqis since the Americans have begun pulling back from inner-city outposts in preparation for a withdrawal from urban areas by the end of June. But attacks have continued against U.S. forces. Two U.S. Marines and one sailor were killed Thursday while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, according to a statement. Anbar is a former insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad that has been relatively calm since Sunni tribal leaders turned against al-Qaida in Iraq. The U.S. military did not give further details about the attack but said the Americans were providing requested support to Iraqi forces when it occurred. The attack raised to at least 18 the number of American troops deaths in April, double the nine killed in March, which was the lowest since the war began in March 2003. That made April the deadliest month for U.S. forces since September, when 25 American troops died. April also saw the most troops killed in combat so far this year, as opposed to other causes. Thirteen of last month's 18 deaths were in combat compared with four among the nine in March. In all, at least 4,281 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began, according to an Associated Press count. Civilian deaths in Iraq in April were also higher than previous months following a series of high-profile bombings. At least 371 Iraqis were killed - in addition to 80 Iranian pilgrims - in violence in April, compared with 335 Iraqis killed in March, 288 in February and 242 in January, according to an AP tally. Iraqi police, meanwhile, said they had foiled a planned suicide bombing and arrested the suspected attacker near a Shiite mosque in the northern city of Kirkuk. Panicked worshippers fled after hearing of the attempt, and some were wounded by broken glass as they tried to jump through the windows to escape.
Are we safer by apologizing and badmouthing ourselves? Boehner, Hoekstra Video Asks: Are We Safe With Obama? House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., released a video Thursday that details the Obama administration’s frightening lack of a comprehensive strategy to confront and fight the terrorist threat. The administration’s recent decisions on national security, including closing a terrorist detention camp with no plan for where to put the terrorists and selectively releasing information on interrogation programs, are indications of an agenda driven by politics, not the best interest of the American people, Boehner and Hoekstra say. “Over the last 100 days, it has become clear that the administration has no comprehensive plan to confront the threat from radical jihadists,†the two say. “From the decision to close a terrorist detention camp with no plan for what to do with the terrorists housed there to the decision to selectively release information about interrogation programs, the administration’s policies have been driven by politics, not by an overarching strategy to protect our nation. “On day 101 of this administration, the American people are beginning to ask some serious questions about what Democrats in Washington are doing to keep America safe. Republicans want to work with the White House and Democrats in Congress to protect our nation, but the administration first must make a commitment to a comprehensive plan to fight the terrorist threat. So far, we haven’t seen that.â€
I am Canadian but I am involved in ---well world affairs that have brought the USA to where it is--i.e. conspiracy theories, debt-based monetary system, and the Bilderburg Group, because I see Canadians are attending those meetings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey-JQ8BMWdk&feature=popular oops http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDxt-Ijf4dQ&feature=related Being I am home with a broken leg I have watched numerous documentaries on youtube and google and wow it's so hard to know what to believe. Is it possible that the Federal Reserve has taken over the Gold from Fort Knox? I also watched "The Money Masters" (3½ hrs)and WOW at all the lies and deceit from Roman Times forward to now!! BUT, instructions how to get out of the mess are give at the end. Bush signed a paper. Are we really legally NAU--? Damn crooked politicians 9/11 is looking more and more an inside Job, shakes a persons faith more and more too.
Oh! I meant to mention that Obama's election promise was to"end the war" and "bring the boys home". Seems I've heard twice about his increasing the overseas troops. Who would fight for America if the troops never return and there is a Revolution to bring back the Constitution and get rid of the Patriot Act?---and the Federal Reserve!
Just be carefully Izzy if you believe there is a conspiracy then you must look at all angles with skepticism. including the so called Constitutionalists group. I agree in a lot of what the "Monster from Jackle Island" crowd has to say but disagree with them as a whole. Must of the big and real conspiracies are not touched. The Yellow Cake, Joe Wilson, Plame scam is not covered by the info wars crowd then I have to question weather they are just a puppet for the very powers they claim to oppose. Anyone who is not acknowledging that Obama once again committed two more illegal acts by firing now three IG's who were exposing his corruption I suspect have their own nefarious agenda.
The sad thing is there are a ton of sheeple that dont see it. Those people who want to be told what to do, who want the government to bail them out of their own stupidity are the same people that think America is safe and cozy. O wanted to bring the troops home, hell everybody wants them to come home, did you see how fast he changed his stance when he started getting presidential briefings (before the election). War generates so much money that companies are willing to sacrifice lives of our fellow countrymen and women to make it. Greed is what drives the leadership of America. The politicians pockets are lined with millions of dollars from those whose interest the represent. Not the peoples interest, he who has the most moneys interest. Lets add up some of the 'simple' costs of being at war. Ammunition. Fuel. Food. Armor (both personal and vehicle) on these 4 things alone we are hemmoraging money. The longer the war goes on, the more money the manufacturers of these goods make. They cut corners to produce their wares as inexpensively as possible (to maximize profit potential) and they skim on quality control. If anyone who has had a family member server in WWII can get their hands on some of the equipment those grunts had and compare it to those of todays soldiers. Sure there have been innovations, but you cant compare the quality and craftsmanship. I have my grandfathers mess kit from WWII. Not a hint of rust, the canteen holder has no tears or rips, the button that clasps it down still works flawlessly.Of course the canteen is dented, but that stuff kind of happens when you walk from Normandy to Berlin.
Thanks guys --for giving me another spin to think on, so that I am not concentrating only on the so-called conspiracies To do so is to see only the conspiracy, and not the other side of the coin.
Exactly and like this post what I was trying to get at was the irony of how a story is reported differently given a different administration in charge.
Remember the debauchery involved with spent military brass? Now, I have heard both sides of this, and arguments disputing the validity of these claims, but without claiming 'bible-truth' - I'll copy/paste. "The more you know..."
