A call for calm in Karkouk, a reconciliation conference in Irbil, Iraqi resistance kills 3 Americans wounds 5
Iraq, Military, 3/26/2004

Three American soldiers were killed yesterday and other five wounded, including several marines which assumed security in the so-called "Sunni triangle" several days ago, in a series of operations for the Iraqi resistance during which three of the attackers were killed, while news reports said that four Iraqi civilians were killed during an American assassination attempt.

Meantime, an American official said yesterday that the occupation authority formed an Iraqi ministry of defense under the authority of the American administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer, who will appoint an Iraqi civilian minister for defense next week. He added that Bremer, will appoint after consultation with the governing council, an Iraqi advisor for national security at a term of office of five years before handing over the authority to the Iraqis on June 30.

The official explained that this persons "will be like Condoleezza Rice or Brent Scowcroft " in remarks to the current and former advisors of the American national security in an indication to the duration of the effectiveness and validity of this post. The American official stressed that this advisor will continue to be in his post after the authority transfer and even the general elections next year.

Meantime, the American army said that one American soldier was killed and two others wounded in a mortar explosion in Baqouba. One American spokeswoman said that one American soldier was killed and two others wounded in an ambush implanted by Iraqi resistance for one American convoy to the east of Falouja during which they used anti- machine guns and tanks explosives and shelling."

Deputy chairman of operations in the American army Gen. Mark Kemet, said that one American soldier was killed and another wounded on Wednesday in a battle that erupted in al-Taji area to the north of Baghdad in which three attackers were killed. He added that one American soldier was wounded on Tuesday in an attack by the Iraqi resistance in Hammam al-Ali village to the north of Iraq.

Kemet continued that some 350 Iraqi police members were killed in 2003.

Meantime, the Kurdistani national federation led by Jalal al-Talibani called on the Arabs, Kurds and Turkman in Karkouk to "cooperate altogether in order to ensure security and stability" in the city. Member if the party's political bureau and minister of the interior in al-Suleimaneyah administration and the supervisor of Karkouk, Freidoun Abdul Qader, said "we have all to work for calming down conditions and eliminate provocations." In this context, member of the political bureau in the Kurdistani democratic party in Karkouk, Najat Hassan Karim, said that Irbil will witness today the convening of the plenary conference of the Iraqi national reconciliation under the patronage of the party chairman Masoud al-Barzani with the participation of representatives of various political trends, parties, tribes chieftains and opposition members for the governing council and the occupation authority.

Previous Stories:
  Clashes in al-Falouja, missiles against the green area; Washington: the situation in Iraq is very dangerous   (3/25/2004)
  Some 14 Iraqi policemen killed in different attacks in Iraq   (3/24/2004)
  Zeibari highlights Syria, Iraq relations   (3/24/2004)
  Arab journalists union condemns reporters assassination in Iraq   (3/23/2004)
  Al-Assad and al-Shara confers with Zeibari   (3/23/2004)
  One American, two Iraqis killed   (3/23/2004)

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