Posted 6:41 am ET: I still haven't seen media coverage of four 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers killed on Sunday 24 July 2005 as they left Camp Striker Iraq. The story did migrate from a Rome, Georgia newspaper website (The Rome News-Tribune) to an Atlanta television station website (WSBTV.com) but no other major news outlets have carried the story AFAIK. We do have a CNN story about the U.S. military admitting an "error" in attributing nearly the same identical quotes to two unidentified Iraqis. I notice that U.S. military personnel often make very political statements about the nature of the Iraqi insurgency and the "success" of and/or "progress" being made on their mission in Iraq when speaking to the press. Their statements are too patent for me.
The nightmare of civil war is looming over Iraq by John F. Burns, NY Times
Truth is the First Civilian Casualty by Rod Norland, Newsweek web exclusive - Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died since 2003. But killings by U.S. troops are not nearly as common as the war's critics would like us to believe.
U.S. study: Insurgents infiltrate Iraq police (CNN) quote: Insurgents and other criminals have infiltrated Iraqi police ranks due to poor screening procedures by U.S. forces, according to a joint report released Monday by the U.S. Defense Department and State Department.
U.S. military admits error in news releases (CNN) quote: The U.S. military expressed regret Monday for issuing news releases about two separate attacks in Iraq that included almost identical quotes attributed to an unidentified Iraqi.
In both statements, the military quoted an Iraqi calling the attackers "enemies of humanity" and vowing to "take the fight to the terrorists," the latter an expression President Bush frequently has used in speeches.
In the first news release, issued after a July 13 Baghdad bombing that killed mostly youngsters, an unidentified Iraqi spoke of terrorists attacking "the children."
In the second release, sent out after an attack Sunday near a police station in the capital, an unidentified Iraqi referred to strikes on "the ISF," or Iraqi Security Forces.
Task Force Baghdad with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division released both statements.
After the media contacted officials Sunday on the similarities, the military reissued the latest release without the quote.
"Task Force Baghdad Public Affairs regrets the confusion regarding two press releases issued in support of our operations July 24," said a statement Monday.
Although not referring to the quote in Sunday's release, it said there was "a draft press release which, due to an administrative error, was mistakenly issued on behalf of the 3rd Infantry Division."
Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division, also spoke Sunday of an "administrative error."
Kent did not explain why the quote apparently was changed to apply to the latest attack.
Below are the two news releases from the U.S. military with the similar quotes:
From Sunday:
" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified."
From July 13:
" 'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.' "
Report finds significant problems with Iraqi police training (Knight-Ridder)
Despite $2 billion spent, residents say Baghdad is crumbling
US soldier killed in bomb attack north of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Tuesdy, July 26, 2005 (Xinhuanet) -- A roadside bomb exploded close to a US patrol on Monday, killing a soldier near the city of Samarra north of Baghdad, the US military said on Tuesday.
N.C.-based Marine killed while patrolling roads in Iraq (AP story) quote: FARGO, N.D. -- Friends and family of Sgt. Bryan Opskar say the North Carolina-based Marine from Moorhead, Minn., lived life at a fast pace. He liked to ride motorcycles in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.
"He liked action," said Opskar's younger brother, Chris. "He was always the guy to keep the party going."
Opskar, 32, a native of Princeton, Minn., was killed in Iraq on Saturday (23 July 2005)when a roadside bomb exploded. A military spokesman said he was conducting combat operations near Ar Rutbah, Iraq.
Medic Killed in Iraq Remembered (AP story) quote:ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Army Spc. Benyahmin Ben Yahudah, who died in a Baghdad suicide bombing that also killed 20 children, was eulogized Monday as a soldier who was "much more interested in saving lives" than in taking them.
Yahudah, a combat medic from Bogart, "felt that saving lives was his calling," Brig. Gen. Ronald Silverman said in a service at Evergreen Memorial Park.
Yahudah, 24, was killed July 13 as he tried to move the children out of the area as soldiers conducted a search, said 1st Sgt. James Baugh, who served with Yahudah in Iraq.
Yahudah and the other soldiers enjoyed handing out candy and toys to the Iraqi children, Baugh said, though he was not doing so when he was killed, as previously thought.
Called "Doc" by his fellow soldiers, Yahudah was "an outstanding medic, kind and caring," said Rabbi Jacob Goldstein, who came from New York to perform the service. "He went the extra mile," Goldstein said. "He will be missed by all."
Pentagon: Morale Among US Troops Improving (ABC News) - But Most Still Classify Moral as Low to Very Low
Algeria pulls staff out of Iraq (BBC News) quote: Algeria has withdrawn all its diplomats from Iraq following the kidnap of two of its staff last week.
"I can confirm that there are no longer any Algerian diplomats in Baghdad," said minister Abdelkader Messahel.
Algeria said the decision was a precautionary measure and was not made in response to the kidnappers' demands.
On Day of Court-Martial, Soldier Pleads Guilty in Death of Iraqi Officer (NY Times - reg. required but free)
Bomb Kills 4 Georgia National Guard Members in Iraq WSBTV.com quote:POSTED: 5:20 pm EDT July 25, 2005
ATLANTA -- Four members of Georgia's National Guard brigade who were serving in Iraq were killed Sunday during a bombing attack, Channel 2 Action News has learned.
The identities of the victims were not immediately available.
Authorities said the four soldiers were killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their military Humvee vehicle southwest of Baghdad.
The members of the 48th Brigade Combat Team is in the country to provide security as the fledgling new government tries to take hold in the wake of the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
"It's a sad day for everybody for the whole National Guard family as well as for the personal families for the soldiers involved," said Maj. Gen. David Poythress. "It's the risk of war and all the soldiers know it."
The family members of the victims were being notified Monday about the deaths.
Al-Qaida Statement Warns Muslims in Iraq: Purported al-Qaida Statement Warns Sunni Muslims to Avoid Likely Targets of Attack in Iraq (AP)
US corporal admits guilt in killing Iraqi officer quote: WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhuanet) -- A young US soldier admitted on Monday that he was guilty of killing an Iraqi officer two years ago in Iraq and had tried to cover up the case by injuring himself.
Dustin Berg, a member of the Indiana National Guard, told the court at the military base of Fort Knox, Kentucky, that he felt guilty about shooting Hussein Kamel Hadi Dawood al-Zubeidi, a Iraqi security officer while they were on patrol together in November 2003.
A young US soldier Dustin Berg is facing court martial July 25 in the fatal shooting of an Iraqi police officer. Berg admitted that he shot the Iraqi officer, but said the November 2003 shooting was in self-defense.
The 22-year old corporal is facing a 18-month jail term and will be expelled by the Army for bad conduct.
In earlier investigations of the case, Berg had insisted that he shot Zubeidi in self defense, saying the Iraqi had pointed a rifle towards him and warned him not to report insurgent activities to the superiors.
In a hearing in May, the US soldier said he thought his life was threatened by Zubeidi at the time and denied any wrongdoing.
But on Monday, Berg pleaded guilty, admitting that he had invented the whole story and may have "acted too quickly".
After killing the Iraqi officer, Berg confessed, he shot himself with the dead man's rifle in an attempt to cover up the crime.
He was then sent to a hospital and was even awarded a Purple Heart medal from the military for "heroic acts" in Iraq.
Eventually, prosecutors found loopholes in his story and began the investigation.
The case is the latest of over a dozen court-martials of US soldiers for killing innocent Iraqis.
So far, at least eight US soldiers have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to charges related to deaths of Iraqis.
July 26, 2005: