US losses in peace killing more than in war; Kerbala is held by Polish

The American occupation forces yesterday launched a new operation to chase Iraqi resistance fighters in northern Iraq. The campaign was launched by thousands of soldiers during which 24 persons were arrested of what he called criminals and supporters of the toppled Iraqi regime Saddam Hussein.

Meantime, the outcome of the killed Americans at the time of "peace" surpassed the number of American killing during the "war," with the killing of one American soldier and wounding others in an attack by the Iraqi resistance near al-Amereyah to the west of Baghdad and the death of one American soldier in an accident.

Thereby the American army had lost 140 soldiers since the announcement made by the US President George W. Bush on ending major fighting operations in Iraq, while the total number of killed Americans since the beginning of the war on March 20 until that date was 138.

This coincided with the American forces handing over of the city of Kerbala to the Bulgarian forces with 250 of its troops will start moving into its parts. The Bulgarian units constitute part of international forces of 9500 troops led by Poland assigned with the task of preserving security in Iraq's central and southern parts replacing the American occupation forces.

The leadership of this area is presumed to be given to Poland on September 3, but the Polish forces have started as from now to be exposed to resistance attacks.

The Polish defense ministry from Warsaw said that a Polish base in Kerbala was exposed on Monday to shelling attacks but with no casualty.