Three US soldiers killed, four Iraqi laundresses mown down

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040122/ts_afp/iraq_us&cid=1503&ncid=1473

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Three US soldiers were killed and another wounded near Baquba, while four Iraqi women going to work at a US base were mown down by guerrillas, the US military and survivors revealed.

The violence came as the bloody insurgency, fighting to stay alive after the December 13 capture of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), sets its sights more and more on civilians working for the US-led coalition. snip

Earlier Wednesday, four Christian laundresses were killed and five others wounded when assailants raked their minibus with gunfire west of Baghdad. They were going to work at a US base near Habbaniyah.

"It is possible that the attackers were terrorists who wanted to hit us because we have good relations with the Americans," said survivor Suzanne Azat.

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[Cooley Hurd]

1. Is it 3 or 2 soldiers killed?

I've heard both - is this possibly due to Pentagon lying?

[DUreader]

4. This seems like a combination of a couple of other stories

the 3 seems like the earlier 2kia 1 wounded (since died)

whereas the death toll is now higher in the attack on civ. workers

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. You know, the insurgency seems quite alive to me.

Sad, but true.

[Stuckinthebush]

6. I was thinking the same thing

In fact, the capture of Saddam seems to have made it even more alive.

[SpiralHawk]

3. pResident* Bush Sets Out to Raise More Campaign Cash

In a related story, pResident Bush again ignored the deaths of US soldiers in Iraq, affirming the order to sneak all Iraq casualty caskets into the US under cover of night with no media present and no honors.

Saying he had "more important business," Bush did not acknowledge that more soldiers had died in his Lie-Based War for Oil, and instead set out on yet another fund-raising trip to rake in more money from his industrial supporters.

[catmandu57]

7. While the numbers are confusing

at least they are admitting that at the minimum, 505 american soldiers have died since 20 march 2003. It seems that there is a lull in the fighting for a few days, then things get hot. I believe the Iraqis attack see what the results were process the info and then adjust to kill more.
In a related story on yahoo, it was reported that the army was having trouble making it's goal of recruits, I wonder why?

[saigon68]

9. 'BRING EM ON" cried the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

Your children will die for Halliburton and Exxon---- he was later heard to exclaim.

"He died for nothing", lamented the Gold Star Mother !!!!!

[0007]

5. Halliburton doing the troops laundry doesn't set well with the

insurgents, I guess?

Why is it reported that these ladies were Christians?

[ewagner]

8. Good question n/t

[The Stranger]

10. Interesting how when the civilians killed are Christians, there is far

more detail than when 5 or ten (presumably) Muslims are killed. They even include the graphic term "mown down."

This, I would presume, is to keep the Fundamentalist "Christian" Holy War support.

[daleo]

11. Quiet before the State of the Union address

Then three more deaths.

I wonder if soldiers are told in the days leading up to important presidential speeches "keep your head down, don't leave the base, and don't get killed - you will embarass the president." Then a few days later "Ok, get out there, it's alright to get killed again."