White House officials meet anti-war protesters

By Steve Holland

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - About 70 anti-war protesters shouted "bring the troops home" from Iraq near President Bush's ranch on Saturday, prompting two White House officials to come out to meet with mothers who lost children in combat in Iraq.

National Security Adviser Steven Hadley and Deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin listened to the concerns of Cindy Sheehan and five or six other mothers in a meeting that lasted about 45 minutes, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said. Duffy said Sheehan told the two officials she appreciated the meeting.

"I want to ask the president, why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?" Sheehan, 48, Vacaville, California, told reporters before meeting with Hadley and Hagin. Sheehan blames Bush for the death of her son, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, 24, killed on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Baghdad.

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Service Held for Ohio Marine Slain in Iraq

By SARAH ANDERSON
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- More than anything, Robyn Williams will miss her little brother's smile. "It was angelic. There's no other way to describe it," she said during a standing-room-only funeral Saturday for her brother, Marine Cpl. Andre L. Williams, 23.

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Injured Soldier Carries Shrapnel That Almost Killed Her

A Minden, Neb., soldier who survived a roadside bombing in Iraq is back home in Minden recovering from her wounds.

Rachelle Spors was in the unit that lost a fellow medic. Spors carries the piece of shrapnel that nearly killed her.

"It just went right into my lungs," Spors said.

Spors' ambulance was hit along a roadside last month. The blast killed Tricia Jameson, 34, of Omaha. Jameson and Spors were driving to help some wounded Marines to safety.

"The next thing I knew, there was just a blast," Spors said.

The ambulance started spinning.

"I look over and saw Tricia, and I'm, like, 'Oh, my God, help me!' So I started yelling," Spors said. "Someone finally opened the door, and I just was, like, 'Get me out.'"

Spors was pulled free, but she couldn’t feel her legs. Two vertebrae had been fractured and two ribs broken.

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AP: American soldier killed Mosul

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi troops repelled a series of coordinated attacks including suicide car bombs, killing six insurgents and capturing 12, in southern Baghdad, the military said Saturday.

Snip

Separately, the U.S. command said an American soldier assigned to a unit in the northern city of Mosul was killed in action Thursday "during a terrorist attack" there. No further details were given.

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Mom of Slain Soldier Stages Bush Protest (AP)

CRAWFORD, Texas - The angry mother of a fallen U.S. soldier staged a protest near
President Bush's ranch on Saturday, demanding an accounting from the president of how he has conducted the war in
Iraq.

Supported by more than 50 shouting demonstrators, Cindy Sheehan, 48, told reporters, "I want to ask
George Bush: Why did my son die?"

Sheehan arrived in Crawford aboard a bus painted red, white and blue and emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour."

Her son, Casey, 24, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004. He was an Army specialist, a Humvee mechanic.

Sheehan, from Vacaville, Calif., had been attending a Veterans for Peace Convention in Dallas. She vowed she would camp out as close as she could get to the president's ranch until Bush comes out and talks to her.

Local law enforcement officials were keeping Sheehan four to five miles away from the ranch's entrance.

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Guardsmen Took 'Rent' From Iraqi Businesses

By Scott Gold Times Staff Writer

California Army National Guard troops sought unauthorized, off-the-books "rent" from Iraqi-owned businesses inside Baghdad's Green Zone to raise money for a "soldiers fund," military officials and sources within the troops' battalion said Friday.

The disclosure is the latest to emerge from a wide-ranging investigation into the conduct of the 1st Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment of the Guard, which is headquartered in Modesto.

Military officials had confirmed previously that the battalion's commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Frey, had been suspended and that one of the battalion's companies, based in Fullerton, had been removed from patrol duties and restricted to an Army base south of Baghdad.

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Fight Over Iraq War Prompts Fatal Shooting (AP)

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. - A disagreement between two friends over the war in
Iraq ended with the fatal shooting of one of the men.

Prosecutors and Kentucky State Police determined that Douglas Moore, 65, of Martin, acted in self-defense when he shot Harold W. Smith, 56, in the chest.

Both men had booths at a flea market when they began arguing over the war.

"I think Doug was supporting it, and this other guy was against it," said Floyd County Coroner Roger Nelson.

Police said the argument escalated into a fight, and Smith drew a small pistol from his pocket, threatening to kill Moore. Witnesses said Moore pulled a .38-caliber pistol from his pocket and shot Smith once in the chest.

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Anger simmers below the grief as Ohio dabs Iraq wounds (AFP)

CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) - Anger at the
Iraq war simmered below the grief, as the midwestern state of Ohio remembered 15 marines killed in a deadly week for American forces in Iraq.

Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell told mourners at an open air memorial service for the marines, killed in two separate roadside bombings, that they should show support for the troops whatever their views of the Bush administration or the war.

Snip

But some people at the rally, went on to say, unprompted, that they had either disapproved of the war, or turned against it as it dragged on, after the swift ouster of
Saddam Hussein following the March 2003 invasion.

"People are mad, we need to get out of Iraq," said Pat Maffo, from Cleveland, after attending an emotion-laded open air memorial services for the marines, killed in two separate roadside bombings.

"I didn't believe we should be there in Iraq," said Chuck Judd, a Cleveland city cop.

Another man, who watched religious leaders salute the fallen marines and sang along as a marine bandsman chanted "God Bless America," said he had supported the invasion of Iraq at the outset, but was being swayed by its cost.

"At first I thought that the war was a good thing, but now I want the troops to come home," said Dave McVean from Cleveland.

"But I know if we leave too soon, there could be a civil war over there, but I am afraid it is going to be another Vietnam."

AFP/Getty Images/File Photo: A US Marine visits a makeshift memorial 04 August 2005 in Brook Park, Ohio. Anger..

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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gunnery Sgt. Theodore Clark Jr., 31, of Emporia, Va., died Aug 4 when the vehicle in which he was a passenger was struck by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Gardez, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

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Sorry

It' looks like I may have deleted some of my links and stuff off my side. When I can, I'll repost them.

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DoD Identifies Casualties

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Victor A. Anderson, 39, of Ellaville, Ga.

Staff Sgt. David R. Jones Sr., 45, of Augusta, Ga.

Sgt. Ronnie L. Shelley Sr., 34, of Valdosta, Ga.

Final identification of a fourth soldier who was killed in the same incident is forthcoming.

They died on July 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV while they were on patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Albany, Ga.

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DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Killed were:

Spc. Jerry L. Ganey Jr., 29, of Folkston, Ga.

Spc. Mathew V. Gibbs, 21, of Ambrose, Ga.

Sgt. 1st Class Charles H. Warren, 36, of Duluth, Ga.

They died on Aug. 3, in Baghdad, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near their armored personnel carrier. Gibbs was in the vehicle at the time; Warren and Ganey were conducting a dismounted security patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 648th Engineer Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade, Statesboro, Ga.

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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Chad J. Simon, 32, of Madison, Wis., died Aug. 4, while under hospice care in Madison, Wis., from wounds he received on Nov. 8, 2004 from an explosion while conducting combat operations in Babil Province, Iraq. Simon was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Madison, Wis.

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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died Aug 3 when the amphibious assault vehicle in which he was a passenger was hit by an improvised explosive device. Dyer’s unit was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. Dyer was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio.

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Key Iraq constitutional meeting delayed as rebels kill 10 (AFP)

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A crucial meeting on
Iraq's constitutional stalemate was put off by an emergency session of the Kurdish autonomous parliament as sustained rebel attacks left 10 people dead.

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Lawsuit Forces Release of More Casualty Images

By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writer

In response to a lawsuit, the Pentagon has released a few dozen new and uncensored images of flag-draped coffins of U.S. troops and agreed to process "as expeditiously as possible" future Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for photo and video images of returning war casualties.

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AFGHANISTAN: TWO KILLED WHEN VEHICLE SLIDES INTO RIVER

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Two U.S. service members drowned after their High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle slid into the Kunar River northeast of Jalalabad on August 4.

Two other service members escaped from the vehicle before it slid into the river. One was treated and released by U.S. military medical personnel at the scene, and the other was transported to Bagram Airfield for treatment. He is in good condition and is expected to be released soon.

The up-armored Humvee was part of a larger convoy conducting operations against enemy forces.

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Wildfires Close Montana's Interstate 90

ALBERTON, Mont. (AP) -- A string of fires forced the closure of a 90-mile stretch of highway, and authorities cited a quick response by emergency crews for protecting nearby towns.

About a dozen fires broke out Thursday along Interstate 90 in western Montana, closing the four-lane road from Missoula to the Idaho line, officials said. The road remained closed early Friday after an estimated 300 acres along the highway burned - at times on both sides of the road.

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Probable Cause of Fatal Blast of 14 U.S. Marines

A senior defense official said that in all probability, the explosive that flipped an armored amphibious vehicle and killed 14 Marines in Iraq Aug. 3 was a triple-stacked anti-tank mine. Pictures show a crater about 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep.

The vehicle struck the mine outside Haditha, near where six Marines in two sniper teams were killed earlier in the week.

Source: American Forces Information Service By Jim Garamone

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AP: Over 50 LA Soldiers Prosecuted in Iraq

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - At least 55 soldiers serving in Iraq with the Louisiana National Guard's 256th Brigade have been tried and convicted of criminal charges, many of them drug-related.

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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Adam J. Strain, 20, of Smartsville, Calif., died Aug 3 as result of enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Strain was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

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Elusive sniper saps US morale in Baghdad

Commanders weigh their options as 'Juba' notches up more kills

Rory Carroll in Baghdad

The Guardian

They have never seen Juba. They hear him, but by then it's too late: a shot rings out and another US soldier slumps dead or wounded.

There is never a follow-up shot, never a chance for US forces to identify the origin, to make the hunter the hunted. He fires once and vanishes.

Juba is the nickname given by American forces to an insurgent sniper operating in southern Baghdad. They do not know his appearance, nationality or real name, but they know and fear his skill.

"He's good," said Specialist Travis Burress, 22, a sniper with the 1-64 battalion based in Camp Rustamiyah. "Every time we dismount I'm sure everyone has got him in the back of their minds. He's a serious threat to us."

Gun attacks occasionally pepper the battalion's foot and mounted patrols, but the single crack of what is thought to be a Tobuk sniper rifle inspires particular dread.

Since February, the killing of at least two members of the battalion and the wounding of six more have been attributed to Juba. Some think it is also he that has picked off up to a dozen other soldiers.

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Army: Soldier Apparently Kills Wife, Self

By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer

DENVER (AP) -- A soldier who returned from Iraq nine days earlier apparently shot and killed his wife and then himself at their home near Fort Collins, Army officials said Thursday.

Pfc. Stephen S. Sherwood, 36, and his wife were found dead Wednesday, Army spokeswoman Dee McNutt said. The wife's name was not released.

The couple's 8-month-old child was in the care of a neighbor, who reported hearing gunshots at about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, said Eloise Campanella, a spokeswoman for the Larimer County sheriff. Investigators had not determined a motive.

Sherwood had returned from Iraq on July 25 after spending nearly a year there and was on leave at the time of the shootings, McNutt said.

Snip

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team lost 68 soldiers during its tour in Iraq. Sherwood was at least the second Fort Carson-based soldier to commit suicide shortly after serving there.

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U.S. to Help Rescue Russian Mini-Sub

By YEVGENY KULKOV
Associated Press Writer

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) -- The U.S. Navy will send an unmanned rescue vehicle to help efforts to save a Russian mini-submarine stuck on the floor of the Pacific with seven crew members on board, a Russian navy spokesman said Friday.

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Approval of Bush's Handling of Iraq Drops

WASHINGTON - Americans' approval of
President Bush's handling of
Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest.

Snip

Approval of Bush's handling of Iraq, which had been hovering in the low- to mid-40s most of the year, dipped to 38 percent. Midwesterners and young women and men with a high school education or less were most likely to abandon Bush on his handling of Iraq in the last six months.

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Campaign Against Navy Vessel Gains Ground

I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan while on board the USS Midway. Japan does not allow nuclear ships in its ports. The U.S. Government must of ask the Japanese Government to approve of the USS Kitty Hawks replacement.

By ERIC TALMADGE Associated Press Writer

YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) -- Masahiko Goto simply does not want a nuclear power plant in his backyard. He says it is dangerous and unnecessary, and over the past year he's collected 324,000 signatures of others who feel the same way. He's also pushed the U.S. Navy into a corner.

Goto is spearheading a high-profile movement to squelch the planned replacement of the USS Kitty Hawk with a more up-to-date nuclear-powered vessel. The Kitty Hawk is the oldest active duty ship in the Navy and the only U.S. aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad.

For the moment, Goto's campaign appears to be winning.

FILE** The USS Kitty Hawk arrives at its home port in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, in this May 6, 2003 photo. A campaign opposition a plan to replace the Kitty Hawk, the oldest active duty ship in the Navy and the only U.S. aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad,with a more up-to-date, nuclear-powered vessel has hit a sympathetic note with the Japanese public and collected the signatures of 324,000 people. (AP Photo/File, Koji Sasahara)



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U.S. Launches Attacks in Western Iraq (AP)

By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - About 1,000 U.S. Marines and Iraqi forces launched attacks in western
Iraq in an operation aimed at disrupting insurgents and foreign fighters in the Euphrates River valley, the U.S. military said Friday.

The operation, dubbed Quick Strike, began Wednesday with Iraqi soldiers and Marines positioning their units, said a military statement. They focused on an area centered around the cities of Haditha, Haqlaniyah, and Parwana, about 130 miles northwest of Baghdad.

U.S. Navy Corpsman Brendan John McGuire, left, of Manalapan, New Jersey and U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Benjamin Adams of Worthington, Ohio, from the 3rd Platoon from Lima Company of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment from Ohio, guard a house in Parwana, near Haditha, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2005. A roadside bomb nearby killed 14 Marines, many from this platoon, and a civilian interpreter, in the deadliest roadside bombing suffered by American forces in the Iraq war. (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

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AP: Navy Jet Has Severe Brake Problems (AP)

WASHINGTON - The front-line fighter jet of the Navy and Marines has suffered a series of recent accidents blamed on brake failure, exposing a problem that has spurred urgent warnings from commanders, military documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Brake problems affecting the F/A-18 Hornet pose "a severe hazard to Naval aviation" that could kill pilots and ruin valuable aircraft, a Navy air wing commander wrote last year after one of his jets roared off a runway and splashed into San Diego Bay, destroying the $30 million plane.

AP Photo: A Marine washes down an F/A -18A Hornet recovered from a marsh after brakes on...

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Capsules of Ohio Marines Killed in Iraq (AP)

Details on 13 of the 14 Marines linked to an Ohio-based battalion killed in two separate attacks in Iraq this week:

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08/04/2005 - DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of seven Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Bell Jr., 22, of West Chesterfield, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Eric J. Bernholtz, 23, of Grove City, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Nicholas William B. Bloem, 20, of Belgrade, Mont.

Sgt. Bradley J. Harper, 25, of Dresden, Ohio

Sgt. Justin F. Hoffman, 27, of Delaware, Ohio

Cpl. David Kenneth J. Kreuter, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cpl. David S. Stewart, 24, of Bogalusa, La.

All died August 3 when their Amphibious Assault Vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. Bloem was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Billings, Mont. Harper was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Norfolk, Va. Stewart was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Gulfport, Miss. The other four Marines were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio.

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08/04/2005 - DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of six Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Michael J. Cifuentes, 25, of Fairfield, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Grant B. Fraser, 22, of Anchorage, Alaska

Lance Cpl. Aaron H. Reed, 21, of Chillicothe, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Edward A. Schroeder II, 23, of Columbus, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Kevin G. Waruinge, 22, of Tampa, Fla.

Lance Cpl. William B. Wightman, 22, of Sabina, Ohio

All died Aug. 3 when their Amphibious Assault Vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device during combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. Fraser was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Waruinge was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Gulfport, Miss. The other four Marines were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio.

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08/04/2005 - DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas C. Hull, 41, of Princeton, Ill., died Aug. 2 on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Arabian Gulf after being medically evacuated to the carrier for a non-combat related incident.

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One U.S. Servicemember Killed, One Injured in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 4, 2005 – A U.S. servicemember was killed today and another injured when the Humvee they were traveling in was struck by what is believed to be an improvised explosive device near Orgun-E, in Afghanistan's Paktika province.

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U.S. agrees to hand over Afghan detainees in Cuba

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan detainees at the notorious U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay will be handed over to Afghan authorities as soon as the government has proper facilities for them, officials said on Thursday.

Although Washington has already handed over hundreds of Afghans captured since U.S.-led forces helped topple the Taliban after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Thursday's formal agreement is expected to speed up the process for the remainder.

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Three more members of National Guard's 48th killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

Three more soldiers from a Georgia National Guard unit have been killed in Iraq -- bringing the total to eleven from that unit in less than two weeks.

Military officials says the three, who were members of the guard's 48th Brigade, were killed yesterday in a car bomb attack. Another was seriously wounded.

Identities of those killed have not been released.

The incident marks the third time in ten days that the 48th Brigade has suffered multiple fatalities from attacks in Iraq.

The 48th Brigade is the largest combat unit of the Georgia National Guard to deploy since World War Two.

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Marine Group in Iraq Issues Statement Blasting Images

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2005 – Marine Corps officials in Iraq issued an emotionally worded statement today as they investigate whether a body in a video and photographs circulating in the region are of a Marine killed in action this week.

The Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad released the statement on behalf of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), which has lost 21 Marines to terrorist attacks in the last three days, including 14 who died in a roadside bomb explosion this morning.

"We are aware that a video and photos exist of a body purported to be a Marine killed in action near Haditha on Aug. 1," the statement said. "We are reviewing the materials to determine if the body shown is one of the Marines killed that day."

Six Marines were killed in action near Haditha Aug. 1.

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Ohio Families Fed Up With Loss of Marines (AP)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rosemary Palmer and her husband were making plans to attend memorial services for six Marine reservists killed earlier this week — five of them from the same battalion as her son, Lance Cpl. Edward Schroeder — when two uniformed servicemen came down her street.

It was her family's turn.

"We knew. They didn't even get a chance to knock," Palmer said.

For relatives of those in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, there has been a sudden spike in such grim visits from uniformed servicemen.

Schroeder, 23, of Cleveland, and 13 more Marines from the Ohio-based battalion were killed Wednesday along with a civilian interpreter in the deadliest roadside bombing in
Iraq.

The Marines' deaths, along with two others slain July 28, brought the battalion's toll to 21 in a week. Eleven of those were part of the same Columbus-based unit, Lima Company, that lost four Marines in a single day in Ma

Michael Davis, 5, right, and Jessica Davis, 6, center, wait while their grandmother, Marie Gallagher places a flag at the fence outside the 25th Marine Regiment's 3rd Battalion Headquarters & Service Company, in Brook Park, Ohio, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005. Upon seeing on the news today that 14 more Marines were reported killed in Iraq Wednesday, the children asked Gallagher to take them to the base so they could place their flags there in honor of the dead marines. (AP

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Jordan uncovers al Qaeda plot to attack U.S. troops (Reuters)

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan has arrested 17 militants linked to the al Qaeda network in
Iraq and an affiliated Saudi group who were plotting to attack U.S. military personnel in the kingdom, security sources said on Thursday.

They said interrogations of the suspects revealed that six of them had ties to Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of the al Qaeda network in Iraq, while the others belonged to an underground Saudi group known as the Brigades of the Holy Shrines.

"They were planning attacks on foreign officers in the kingdom," said one security source, referring to a plot to attack U.S. military personnel who frequent five-star hotels while on leave from duty in neighboring Iraq.

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Marines in Iraq Have Heavy Casualty Rate(AP)

WASHINGTON - The Marines have one of the roughest assignments in
Iraq: pacifying the perpetually restive Anbar province, home to Fallujah, Ramadi and Haditha, all sites of heavy American casualties since the insurgency went into high gear last year.

Underscoring the heavy load, the Marines have taken casualties disproportionate to their numbers in Iraq.

Marines number more than 23,000 out of 138,000 members of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq, or 17 percent. Yet they have lost at least 530 of the more than 1,820 U.S. personnel who have died there, or 29 percent, Marine officials said.

AP Photo: U.S. Marines from Lima Company of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment from Ohio, watch news...

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Marine Killed by Small Arms Fire in Ramadi (AP)

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American Marine was killed in action during operations in a volatile city west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday.

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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. James D. McNaughton, 27, of Middle Village, N.Y., died August 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was struck by sniper fire while he was in a guard tower. McNaughton was assigned to the Army Reserve's 306th Military Police Battalion, 800th Military Police Brigade, Uniondale, N.Y.

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Bush: Iraq Attack a Grim Reminder of War

Chimpy McFlight suit speaks about the 14 dead Marines.

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

GRAPEVINE, Texas -
President Bush lamented the deaths of 14 Marines in
Iraq Wednesday, calling the deadly attack a "grim reminder" America is still at war.

"These terrorists and insurgents will use brutal tactics because they're trying to shake the will of the United States of America. They want us to retreat,"

Snip

"Make no mistake about it," Bush said. "We are at war."

The latest deaths come as his administration is talking about handing more security responsibility over to the Iraqis and drawing down U.S. forces next year.

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DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of six Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Jeffrey A. Boskovitch, 25, of Seven Hills, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Roger D. Castleberry Jr., 26, of Austin, Texas

Sgt. David J. Coullard, 32, of Glastonbury, Conn.

Lance Cpl. Daniel N. Deyarmin Jr., 22, of Tallmadge, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Brian P. Montgomery, 26, of Willoughby, Ohio

Sgt. Nathaniel S. Rock, 26, of Toronto, Ohio

All died Aug. 1 as result of enemy small-arms fire while conducting dismounted operations outside Haditha, Iraq. Castleberry was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, San Antonio, Texas. The other five Marines were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Brookpark, Ohio.

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Anti-war Iraq veteran narrowly misses in bid for US Congress seat (AFP)

AFP/File Photo: Democratic candidate Paul Hackett receives help from his daughter, Grace, 8, as he votes in...

CHICAGO (AFP) - A Marine reservist narrowly failed in his bid to become the first
Iraq War veteran to serve in the US Congress, losing to a longtime Republican legislator in his conservative Ohio district, US media reported.

Paul Hackett was defeated by Jean Schmidt by 59,132 votes to 55,151, according to unofficial totals, a margin of 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent.

Hackett, a Democrat who ran on an anti-war platform, made a surprisingly strong showing in Tuesday's special election to fill the seat recently vacated by Republican Rob Portman, who was named earlier this year to be US Trade Representative.

An attorney and former Marine major who served in combat on Iraq's frontlines, Hackett was considered a longshot in a district that had not sent a Democrat to Washington in nearly 40 years and where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than three to one

I hope Major Paul Hackett USMC (ret) continues his political career.

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