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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Red Heeler who wrote (476538)	10/16/2003 4:03:49 AM
From: A. Geiche	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

PM - Attacks on US soldiers 'continue to increase': Coalition Authority PM, Australia - Wednesday, 15 October , 2003 18:18:09 Reporter: Rafael Epstein PETER CAVE: As daily news of violence comes out of Iraq, the US President has been telling Americans the situation is not as bad as some sections of the media make it out to be. But the American-led administration in Iraq is sending a very different message. In a daily security briefing, the Coalition Provisional Authority has warned that attacks on US soldiers "continue to increase". It lists nearly 30 attacks on Sunday alone, and two assassinations attempts on Iraqi leaders in the last three days. Overnight, the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad was targeted by a suicide bomber, but the attacker was the only casualty. Rafael Epstein reports. RAFAEL EPSTEIN: US President George W. Bush is adamant, many aspects of life in Iraq are improving. GEORGE BUSH: It is important for people to know that there is a positive thing that’s taking place inside Iraq. There's been tremendous progress since Saddam Hussein fell. We shouldn't make light of the fact that the hospital system is up and running and doing very well, and schools, and I'm not suggesting you are, but it is a very important ingredient in the establishment of a civil society, which is important for a peaceful Iraq. RAFAEL EPSTEIN: And the attack on the Turkish Embassy was unsuccessful because the US Army says its intelligence and security systems are getting better every day. US Army Colonel Pete Mansoor spoke at the site of the embassy bombing. PETE MANSOOR: Based on this information, we wrapped up the security measures here at this embassy, and these security measures succeeded in preventing any loss of life. RAFAEL EPSTEIN: But the US appears to be saying quietly that attacks on its troops have been increasing and are still increasing. The US-led administration in Iraq is the Coalition Provisional Authority. Its daily security briefing paper is described as unclassified, but is for official use only. The daily update for yesterday, the 14th of October, is headed “CPA C2 OPERATION THREAT WARNING”. It warns: “The primary threat remains former regime loyalists and terrorists groups who organise, arm, and plan attacks on Coalition Forces. The use of small arms fire and RPG attacks, command-detonated explosive devices, and mortar rounds continues to increase; especially the frequency of attacks which utilise command-detonated devices daisy-chained together, buried or hidden along roads and highways.” RAFAEL EPSTEIN: The US Army maintains that more and more Iraqis feel safer every day, and that more and more Iraqis, men and women, are being trained and are beginning to provide their own security at various facilities around the country. But the security briefing issues another warning: “The enemy is increasingly using explosive devices in attacks on convoys and patrols. Do not attempt to move, or stop for items in the road, to include bags of fruit, ice chests, concrete blocks, boxes, bags, debris, soda cans, animal carcasses or broken down vehicles. Give wide clearance to all of the above items, as they may contain hidden explosives.” RAFAEL EPSTEIN: The security briefing notes which roads are closed because they have multiple bombs on them, and it lists nearly 30 attacks, mostly on Coalition soldiers, using improvised explosive devices, small arms fire, mortars and rocket propelled grenades. It also says the Governor of Diyala's convoy was attacked, as was the convoy of the Minister for Religious Affairs. Both are assumed to be assassination attempts. With close to 100 US soldiers killed since President Bush declared an end to major hostilities, the Marines are beginning to have memorial services for their dead. Marine Corp Major General James Mattis.