British journalist, US soldier killed; four assassination attempt against Bremer
Iraq-USA, Military, 7/7/2003

An Iraqi daily disclosed yesterday that the American civil administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, was exposed to four assassination attempts at the hands of unidentified persons since he assumed his post in Baghdad in May, at a time when the Iraqi operations claimed the lives of one British journalist and two wounded Americans during the two past days.

The Iraqi daily al-Dostour said that four attacks have taken place targeting Paul Bremer since May, while the procession of the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld who visited Baghdad last month was exposed to fire while moving from Baghdad's airport to al-Fares Palace. Al-Dostour added that the attackers are using shoulder- borne land to air missiles in their operations which reached 85 operations during the two last months targeting gatherings for the coalition forces, patrols and planes.

Meantime, one American soldier was killed by Iraqi resistance inside the complex of Baghdad university in al-Jadereyah area.

An American army officer said the killed soldier was escorting a delegation representing the occupation authority in its meeting with university officials.

Eye witness said the incident took place in the cafeteria. He explained that the "American entered alone and it was easy to identify him because he is tall, and while he was leaving, gun fire was opened at him and a man was seen fleeing with a pistol in his hand." Eye witnesses also said that the British journalist Richard Wild who was killed on Saturday in Baghdad was hit by a bullet in his neck while he was in front of Baghdad's university where a large group of students.

The witnesses said that Wild who was introduced by the British diplomatic mission in Baghdad as a photographer working for the Independent British ATN TV network was hit in his neck while turning his back to the killer and crossing a crowded street in front of Baghdad University in Bab al-Muzzam quarters. Wild is journalist number 16 killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war on March 20.

Meanwhile, an American military statement said the American occupation forces arrested 282 persons and confiscated 96 guns and 217 missile shells and other weapons in their operations against the Iraqi armed resistance which lasted for one week and ended on Saturday.

The 29 members of al-Basra governorate council on Saturday elected the Shiite judge, Wael Abdul Latif, as a provisional governor for the second largest Iraqi city. Abdul Latif replaced the Danish ambassador Welzer Olsen, the regional coordinator of the southern region who was appointed by the British army. Four persons competed for this post: they are two judges, a lawyer and an engineer. The lawyer, a former police officer was appointed as a deputy governor.

Previous Stories:
  One American killed; 11 Iraqis killed in clashes with US forces   (7/5/2003)
  Nine Americans wounded in explosion in al-Ramadi, an attack in Baghdad   (7/4/2003)
  Future Iraq army to be limited in size; Former soldiers to receive monthly stipends   (6/26/2003)
  Rebuilding Iraq is the toughest of all missions, Abizaid says   (6/26/2003)

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