The U.S. strategy of putting Iraqis in charge of their own security suffered a stunning reversal last week when President Bush announced that more U.S. troops would be sent back to Baghdad."Obviously, the violence in Baghdad is still terrible," Bush said during a visit to Washington by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. For months, U.S. military spokesmen had released evermore upbeat assessments of the "Iraqification" of the security forces, which was meant to both reduce U.S. casualties and emphasize that Iraqi forces were being trained to take over securing their own country. In Baghdad today, apart from the heavily U.S.-patrolled airport road, it is rare to see American units on the city's streets. But in their absence has come increasing violence and mayhem. It took the commander in chief to finally admit what was becoming increasingly clear on the ground: The strategy of Iraqification has backfired in Baghdad ... http://abcnews.go.com censor News |
Editor - 17:35:00 07-31-06 |
Fifteen die in Colombia attacks |
At least 14 soldiers have been killed in an ambush north-eastern Colombia, army officials say. They say the soldiers were on their way to investigate reports of an illegal checkpoint when they were attacked near the border with Venezuela. No group said it carried out the ambush - which came hours after a bomb killed a civilian in the capital, Bogota. The attacks came a week before President Alvaro Uribe is due to be sworn in for a second term. The ambush against the army patrol occurred in Norte de Santander province - where left-wing rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) are known to operate. Army commander Carlos Ospina said the soldiers responded to reports that rebels were concentrating there. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5233400.stm
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Editor - 17:33:00 07-31-06 |
Israel to widen ground offensive |
The Israeli cabinet has agreed to widen the country's ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The decision, made at a closed door session, received unanimous approval, according to a senior political source. The government is also planning to call up thousands more reservists, Israeli radio reported. Earlier Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ruled out an immediate truce, saying Israel would continue its offensive as long as its security was threatened. On Monday, Israel agreed to a 48-hour suspension of air strikes to allow an investigation into air strikes on the village of Qana in which some 54 civilians died. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/5233518.stm
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Editor - 17:25:00 07-31-06 |
It's Crash After Crash At Airshow Plane Struck By Navy Warbird; Couple Dies In Crash Landing; Pilot Missing |
The propeller of a Navy warbird sliced into a home-built airplane on a taxiway during an airshow Sunday, killing a passenger, officials said. The victim in the home-built Van's RV — one of the most popular kit-built planes — was pronounced dead at the scene at Wittman Regional Airport, but the pilot was unhurt, said Tom Poberezny, president of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which puts on the annual AirVenture show. Neither of the two people in the World War II-era Grumman TBM Avenger were injured, Poberezny said. The planes were preparing for departure when the Avenger struck the back of the Canadian-registered RV, said association spokesman Dick Knapinski. Federal and local authorities were investigating. The victim's name was not released. ... http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/30/national/main1847596.shtml?source=RSS&attr=U.S._1847596
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Editor - 22:50:00 07-30-06 |
Senior Sri Lanka rebel says truce void, war back on |
Sri Lanka's four-year ceasefire is now void and the island's two-decade civil war is back on, a top Tamil Tiger rebel told Reuters on Monday as the guerillas and the military entered a sixth straight day of fighting. S. Elilan, head of the Tigers' political wing in the restive eastern district of Trincomalee, said army troops had resumed a bid to advance toward land they control in the east and had fired artillery and mortars at their territory in the north. "The ceasefire agreement has become null and void at the moment," Elilan said by telephone from Trincomalee, adding government troops were continuing an advance toward their forward defense line in the east in a water supply dispute. ... http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2254967
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Editor - 22:44:00 07-30-06 |
Wind hampers crews battling huge wildfire |
High wind hampered fire crews again Sunday as they fought a wildfire that had dashed across nearly 300 square miles of remote rangeland in northern Nevada.The brush fire 50 miles northeast of Winnemucca had exploded from less than 30 square miles to 292 square miles since Thursday, making it one of the nation's biggest wildfires of the season, fire information officer Susan Marzec said.No buildings had been damaged but the blaze posed a potential risk to the tiny towns of Midas and Tuscarora as well as scattered ranches. Flames were within 3 miles of Midas and 11 miles of Tuscarora."The fire is continuing to make its move because of gusty winds and dryness," Marzec said. "Every time we make headway we're back where we started."... http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/30/wildfires.ap/index.html?section=cnn_us
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Editor - 22:36:00 07-30-06 |
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