4 Ukrainian Peacekeepers Leave Iraq for Drunkenness

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The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has recalled four peacekeepers from Iraq for numerous violations.

The troops of the 81st tactic group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Iraq were recalled due to non-fulfillment of contract conditions, drunkenness, unwillingness to serve in the forces and “poor morals”, the ministry’s press service was quoted as saying on Friday by RIA-Novosti.

MosNews

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1. Mortar explosion shakes Baghdad's Green Zone

Baghdad - A mortar round exploded on Friday inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone that houses the Iraqi government and several foreign embassies.

There were no casualties, police said.

A plume of smoke could be seen rising from near the helicopter landing field inside the Zone immediately after the blast. Sirens sounded the alarm.

Police Major Falah al-Mhamadawi said a single shell exploded at 2.35pm but caused no casualties.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1126870561752B262

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2. Mayor of southern Iraqi district killed

BAGHDAD - The mayor of Iraq�s Iskandariya District, Amer al- Khafaji, and four of his bodyguards were killed on Friday, said police in Hillah.

The police said insurgents dressed in Iraqi military uniforms attacked the mayor�s house and killed him with four of his bodyguards. Two other bodyguards were also injured in the attack.

Iskandariya is 60 kilometres south of Baghdad.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2005/September/focusoniraq_September87.xml§ion=focusoniraq&col=

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3. US launches air strike at insurgent hideout in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- US warplanes waged an air strike at an insurgent hideout and weapons caches in an northern Iraqi town near the Syrian border, killing nine "suspected terrorists", the US military said on Friday.

Two AV8-B Harrier jets shelled an abandoned school in Karabilah Thursday night. The target was being used by al-Qaida militants as a launch pad to carry out attacks against "local civilians and coalition forces," the military said in a statement.

The jetfighters used precision-guided 225-kg bombs on the town, located some 320 km west of Baghdad, the statement said.

"Nine terrorists were confirmed killed and one vehicle destroyed," the statement said, adding that several explosions were heard after the attack.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/16/content_3499439.htm

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4. U-S Marine killed as war toll nears 19-hundred

BAGHDAD, Iraq The number of Americans who've died in Iraq since the war began is nearing the 19-hundred mark.

Commanders in Baghdad say the latest to die was a Marine killed yesterday in the rebel-infested western region al-Anbar. Without explaining, a statement today says he was killed by an "indirect fire explosion" at a forward operating base.

The death pushes to 18-hundred-99 the number of U-S troops who've died since the U-S invasion in March 2003. Nearly 15-hundred of those are classified as resulting from hostile action.

http://www.kten.com/article.asp?id=10155

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. US dead is well over 1900 - probably over 2000.

You have to include those who were killed serving with the US Mercenary Corp, the 'security contractors' which has over 20,000 personnel with boots on the ground there. Numbers are not acknowleged, but some estimates are that over a hundred and fifty have been killed.

Also, what are the numbers of non-security contractor personnel who have been killed? The truck drivers and engineers and computer techs and administrators who are actually, most of them, trying to rebuild Iraq?