On American attacks in Iraq; S. Korea, Polish forces withdrawal

The American forces in Iraq on Friday continued military operations in al-Anbar governorate west of Baghdad. A statement by the American navy announced killing 32 gunmen in a clash near a mosque in the center of Ramadi city, the capital of the governorate.

For his part, the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld rejected the repeated calls demanding the withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq.

In Seoul, the ministry of defense in Southern Koreas announced it intends to reduce the number of its forces in Iraq by almost one third as from the first half of 2006.

In Poland, the minister of defense hinted on Friday that the decision over whether the Polish forces will continue to remain in Iraq after the date set for its withdrawal by the beginning of 2006 will depend on Iraq's buying of Polish weapons.