Exerpted from the WSJ, "We need more protection. We've seen enough. We've stayed in Iraq long enough," he said.
About a half hour after the attack, the truck that absorbed the blast's force was still burning.
Abu Ghraib, home to what was once Saddam Hussein's most notorious prison, lies just west of the capital.
Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Delmoral, a member of the supply unit said he believed the attackers had placed the wrecked truck along the road and filled it with explosives. He said the unit had been attacked in the same region last week.
"They shot at us with a rocket-propelled grenade and we shot back," Sgt. Delmoral said.
Heavily-armed U.S. soldiers sealed off the road. A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad said he had no comment.
Also Wednesday, a U.S. Marine died in the southern city of Hilla when he fell off a building he was guarding, the military said. The soldier was rushed to a hospital but died of his injuries.
On Tuesday, the American administrator of Iraq linked the length of the U.S. occupation to Iraq's political process, saying that American forces would remain in the country until Iraqis agree on a new constitution and set up a democratic government.
The new Governing Council, meanwhile, was meeting again Wednesday to discuss security and education matters, said Nouri al-Badran, spokesman for the Iraqi National Accord, which holds a seat on the council members. On Tuesday, it decided to set up special courts to try former members of Mr. Hussein's regime who are accused of involvement in mass executions, torture and other human rights violations.
The U.S. administrator, L. Paul Bremer, said Tuesday that the process of rebuilding the Iraqi political system was already under way with the establishment of the 25-member council -- the first national postwar Iraqi political body, largely hand-picked by him.
But even talk of removing coalition soldiers from Iraq seemed premature while guerrilla-style attacks against U.S. forces are increasing and many major countries are balking at the idea of sending peacekeepers to replace exhausted American troops.
Many American soldiers thought they'd be home this summer, but their hopes were dashed in a U.S. Army e-mail to spouses Sunday.
American soldiers grumbled when told they would have to stay longer in a country where U.S. forces say they are coming under an average of 12 attacks each day.
"I'm tired of going to bed wondering if I'm going to wake up in the morning," said Spc. David Myers Jr. of the Third Infantry Division's Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment in Habaniyah, west of Baghdad.
Sound like Happy Campers to me! Also saw a report last night where the troops were calling their wives and begging them to "get me out of here". |
