Explosion targets Americans in Sadr City

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Explosion targets Americans in Sadr City

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 35 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - An explosion apparently targeting U.S. troops
struck a local council building Tuesday in Baghdad's Shiite
Sadr City district, killing at least two Iraqi civilians,
police and witnesses said.

The U.S. military confirmed a blast near the district advisory
council building in Sadr City but did not immediately release
more details pending reports from the scene.

Seven civilians also were wounded in the blast, which
occurred shortly after 9 a.m. near the deputy council chief's
office as Americans approached, a local policeman said,
speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't
authorized to release the information.

The explosion came a day after a gunman opened fire on U.S.
soldiers attending a municipal council meeting southeast of
Baghdad, killing two of them and wounding four other
Americans.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080624/ap_on_re_ca/iraq

[leftchick]

1. Baghdad blast kills 4 Americans

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq



BAGHDAD - U.S. officials say four Americans have been killed in an explosion at a local council building in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City district.

Iraqi police officials say at least six Iraqi civilians also were killed and 10 others wounded in Tuesday's blast, which apparently was targeting Americans visiting the building.

The U.S. military and the embassy say two American soldiers and two American government employees were among the dead.

Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo says the government employees were civilians with the State Department and the Defense Department.

[maddezmom]

2. I hate to say this

But everytime the Pentagon issues a report about how bombings, etc is down there seems there seems to be an uptick in bombings/death. :(

[daggahead]

3. Ahhh Yes ...

Winning hearts and minds ...

[Eugene]

4. CNN: U.S. Embassy staff, soldiers killed in Baghdad blast

Source: CNN

updated 59 minutes ago

U.S. Embassy staff, soldiers killed in Baghdad blast

-snip-

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An explosion rocked a municipal building
Tuesday in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, killing six Iraqis,
two U.S. soldiers and two civilian U.S. Embassy employees,
officials said.

-snip-

The embassy official said the American civilians include "a
direct hire civilian employee of the Department of State and a
Department of Defense civilian employee."

The blast occurred during a meeting of the district advisory
council in Sadr City, and U.S. troops were in the area, an
Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

The U.S. military confirmed the deaths, saying an American-led
coalition soldier and three council members also were wounded.
There have been 4,106 U.S. service members killed since the
Iraq war began.

-snip-

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/24/iraq.main

[MaineDem]

7. One of the State Dept employees identified

A statement from Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, identified the slain State Department employee as Steve Farley.

"Mr. Farley was a member of our embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team for the Sadr City and Adhamiya districts of Baghdad City," the statement said.

"We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends, and our profound appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice that they made in service to their country and for the people of Iraq. This is a tragic loss and one we all mourn."

The U.S. Embassy statement didn't identify the other victims.

The blast dramatizes the perils the war still poses for Americans despite a Pentagon report Monday that touted a sharp decrease in violence in Iraq in recent months.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/24/iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[sabra]

5. k & r ... this is a big deal

[Supersedeas]

6. nothing to see here -- unless you believe Black is right about McCain...hint/hint

[underpants]

8. Baghdad Blast Kills Four Americans

Source: NYT

BAGHDAD — An explosion apparently caused by a bomb inside a district council building in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad on Tuesday killed two American soldiers and two civilians working for the United States military, the American command said.

American officials could not immediately confirm the nationalities of the civilian workers, but Iraqi council members who were at the scene of the attack described the civilians as American.

Later, a United States Embassy spokeswoman in Baghdad, Mirembe Nantongo, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying the dead civilians were American and included one State Department and one Defense Department employee.

A third American soldier was wounded in the attack, the military said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html?hp