People's anger, demonstrations in Baghdad, al-Anbar people prepare for martyrdom operations
Iraq-USA, Politics, 5/29/2003

Tension still overwhelms conditions in the Iraqi al-Anbar province following the killing of four American soldiers as their helicopters was downed in Albu Assaf quarters in the governorate. Eye witnesses said the American forces hurried to transport the ruins of the plane before journalists arrived to the site.

In Hait city of al- Anbar province, the citizens clashed with the Iraqi police and many of them were injured as a result. The Iraqi police guided the American forces to the houses of citizens presumed to have machine guns and weapons.

News reports said that citizens in the city blew up the police center and the center of the local governor, using more than 20 mortars in revenge of certain police members who collaborated with the American soldiers and provided them with information about the citizens of the city.

The Iraqis also took the streets in massive demonstrations in which they vowed to revenge the Americans who broke into their houses in an offensive way during the breaking in operations and frightened women and children, according to citizens of the city.

The reports added that the American forces were obliged to withdraw from the city and several explosions were heard in it, noting that the citizens chanted national slogans and their morale were very high.

The news reports also said that conditions in that city have not calmed yet and that the American forces started to be reassemble again on the outskirts of the city in order to withstand developments that might take place in the city.

One of Hait's chieftain yesterday early morning addressed a warning to the American forces to leave the city, otherwise they will face problems.

In another development, a spokesman for the American army said that nine American soldiers were wounded during the last 24 hours as a result of attacks carried out by Iraqis in areas in the center and northern parts of Iraq.

The military spokesman explained that these do not include two killed American soldiers and other nine wounded in an ambush installed by Iraqi fighters on Tuesday in al-Falouja city, 50 Km to the west of Baghdad.

The attacks against the American forces witnessed an escalation which was, in particular escalated in Baghdad and al-Falouja and resulted in killing 8 Americans and wounding many others.

Meanwhile Abdul Rahman Mustafa, an independent ethnic Kurd won the post of the governor in the local elections council of the city, while his deputy is a citizen of an Arab and the post of the chairman of the administrative council by an ethnic Turkman.

However, the election of the local council will avail starting running the affairs of the multi ethnic city of Karkouk which is inhabited by 800,000 citizens and considered an important area in oil exploration in the country.

In a separate development, the American forces arrested the Palestinian charge de affairs and four Iraqis on charge of having unlicensed weapons. But the Palestinian official denied this charge.

Eye witnessed said the American forces arrived in the Palestinian mission's headquarters on yesterday early morning, inspected it and then arrested the charge de affairs.

Previous Stories:
  Bremer fires chairman of Baghdad's police   (5/28/2003)
  US Helicopter destroyed in Iraqi attack, tension after 2 soldiers are killed, 9 wounded   (5/28/2003)
  US soldier killed in Baghdad, large explosion in al-Falouja, Ode's intention to surrender   (5/27/2003)

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