Al-Jazeera: Four Iraqis killed by occupation forces; Iraqi resistance has no connection to former regime

A group of Iraqi resistance threatened to escalate their operations against the American occupation forces and to make the land of Iraq a "grave for the invaders and occupation forces." In a video tape dated August 3 and broadcast by al-Jazeera TV yesterday, the group denied that resistance -- which "extends and expands" -- is affiliated to what the speaker in the tape called the "remains of the former regime."

The armed gunman who was with other three resistance members indicated that had members of the toppled regime been able to make sacrifices, then the Baath regime would not have been removed in the manner it happened. He added that the remains of the former regime do not have the ability to resist or sacrificing themselves because they do not have values and principles.

The speaker who seemed to carry Islamic spirit stressed "we are members of the Iraqi resistance. We announce we will resist the occupation in defense of our religion, doctrine, nation and people," adding that the Iraqi resistance "is a national resistance, and legitimate approved by all international norms and charters." He explained that the resistance has become an edifice in the face of occupation.

The tape comes at a time when the resistance attacks have increased against the American occupation forces in Iraq, as an American patrol was exposed to fire near the Islamic sciences faculty in Bab al-Mu'zzam quarters in the downtown of Baghdad and this resulted in wounding two US soldiers and 10 Iraqis including one child and two members of a press team belonging to al-Jazeera TV in the area.

Another occupation patrol was exposed to an attack in Haditha city to the northern west of Baghdad during which a military car was hit by RPJ anti-tank missiles.

Witnesses said that the American forces opened fire indiscriminently at the direction from which the attack came and installed inspection point in search of the attackers while news were contradictory on casualties in the lines of the American soldiers.

In Tikrit, two US soldiers were wounded when an explosive went off under a military truck outside the city of Tikrit yesterday morning. The occupation forces detained three Iraqi citizens and seized a small amount of weapons in Beji town following attacks by mortars against the headquarters of these forces in the city.

Meantime, an American military spokesman announced the death of an American soldier in al-Dewaneyah to the south of Baghdad because of the heat.