Powell Visits Baghdad; 13 Dead in Fallujah

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4367651,00.html

Powell Visits Baghdad; 13 Dead in Fallujah

Friday July 30, 2004 1:16 PM


By RAVI NESSMAN

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Marines backed by fighter jets fought a fierce battle with insurgents in Fallujah on Friday, killing 13 Iraqis and wounding 14 others, as Secretary of State Colin Powell made an unannounced visit to Baghdad.

``We are facing challenges in the weeks ahead that we are determined to overcome,'' Powell said after meeting with Interim President Ghazi al-Yawer.

Powell's visit followed a decision Thursday by Iraqi authorities to abruptly postpone a national conference of political, religious and civic leaders considered a crucial step on the road to democracy.

Officials said the two-week delay of the gathering - which by law was to have been held by the end of July - came at the request of the United Nations, which hoped to persuade more Iraqis to participate even as key factions threatened to boycott and others failed to choose a delegate. Officials insisted pushing the event back would have no effect on the country's first democratic elections, scheduled for January.

..more..

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Why are we still bombing

a country that we occupy and supposedly control?

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

2. Why are we still killing people we supposedly liberated?

We're killing Iraqis in droves.

[Sabriel]

3. Nice juxtaposition of headlines

Powell visit = more death.

[G_j]

4. hard to get reporting on anything outside Baghdad

it is too dangerous for reporters to leave the capitol.
We can't be sure exactly what the US military is doing 'out there'

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. I had to check who was saying this:

'"I think the bad guys, the enemy, the army of the darkness is getting more helpless and hopeless. That is why they are stepping up these things. Time and the place is on our side," al-Yawer said.'

I read the paragrpah and then had to check back if al-Yawer was the president talking about the insurgents, or the doctor in Fallujah talking about the Americans.

[donsu]

6. what peaked my interest in this article was this:

Powell made his unannounced visit to Baghdad Friday. The visit gives the secretary of state a chance for on-the-ground briefings from American and Iraqi officials, reports CBS News Correspondent Elaine Cobbe. On his arrival, he was briefed by the new U.S. ambassador, John Negroponte, and by American generals, who have been handing over more and more security operations to Iraqi forces.

-snip-

Al-Yawer expressed confidence the violence will not deter Iraq from electing a transitional government in January.

"We are working around the clock to make sure we are on time," he said.
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