22 July 2004 Events in Iraq

15.22 Nairobi. KENYA ORDERS ITS CITIZENS OUT OF IRAQ.

14.10 An Najaf. 2 DEAD AND 3 WOUNDED IN ATTACK ON POLICE PATROL. Two policemen were killed in an attack on their patrol by insurgents along the Najaf-Diwaniya highway. One insurgent was wounded and taken prisoner.

13.32 Baghdad. POLICE ROUNDUP IN BAGHDAD, 20 ARRESTS. Iraqi security forces with the support of US troops arrested 20 people in Baghdad.

13.14 Al Kūt. ATTACK IN CITY, TWO POLICEMEN DIE. Two police officers were killed by gunfire from unknown assailants in the Shi'ite city of al-Kūt. The body of a third officer was discovered later.

12.51 Nairobi. THREE KENYANS TAKEN HOSTAGE. Three Kenyan nationals have been taken prisoner by the Black Flags. All are married with children.

12.27 Kuwait City. HOSTAGES, EMPLOYERS WORK TO SECURE RELEASE. Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company will do everything in its power to secure release of its employees held hostage.

12.24 Kirkūk. POLICEMAN KILLED IN ATTACK. One policeman was killed and a civilian wounded in an attack in downtown Kirkuk. Unknown gunmen opened fire on a police station.

12.12 Baghdad. BOMB KILLS CHILD. A 10 year-old child was killed in the explosion of a bomb outside the Sunni Abu Hanifa Mosque in downtown Baghdad.

12.04 Tikrit. DECAPITATED BODY FOUND. The body of a Westerner thought to be the second Bulgarian truck driver held hostage was found in the River Tigris in Bayjī, 220 km north of Baghdad. The body was wearing an orange jumpsuit. The head was also found inside an orange sack. The body has been taken to Tikrit hospital for autopsy.

11.42 Kirkūk. TURKMAN LEADER GRAVELY WOUNDED. Aslan Burhan Aughalu, leader of the Turkman Front, was gravely wounded last night in Kirkuk when gunmen fired on his home. Three suspects have been arrested.

11.20 Baghdad. SEVEN-HOUR DRAGNET IN BAGHDAD. Downtown Baghdad was the scene of a massive roundup operation carried out by Iraqi National Guard supported by US troops. Haifa Street was closed off as well as three bridges over the Tigris. The operation began at 3 in the morning and lasted until 10 am.

09.47 Baghdad. VIDEO SHOWS HOSTAGES IN HANDS OF INSURGENTS. The group "Black Flags" are said to hold 3 Indians, 2 Kenyans and 1 Egyptian. However in the video there is a third Kenyan. All are truck drivers. In the video, the Egyptian is heard to say, What we are doing, helping the Americans and the Jews, is not right. I want to return to Egypt to be with my mother and my children. We have been captured by courageous men who have given us food and drink. The Egyptian, Mohammed Alì, is 40 years old with a days-old beard. The hostage has sworn never again to enter Kuwait or Iraq. He concludes by saying, Help us, we don't want to die. Mother, don't be afraid if you're watching me on TV, everything is all right. I'll be back home at the end of the month and I pray God that everything goes well for you, me and my sons. Do not be afraid, God watches over us. If we die, it will be His will. Next, Kenyan hostage Fayez Khamis Salem speaks in broken English: We were in Kuwait and we were sent to Iraq into a very dangerous area. I advise you all not to come to Iraq. Don't help the Americans, it is not a good thing.

09.43 Tampa. USA: "25 REBELS KILLED IN COMBAT YESTERDAY." 25 insurgents were killed and 17 wounded in clashes with insurgents yesterday. 13 Marines and one soldier were wounded.

21 July 2004 Events in Iraq

Eight US troops killed in combat today if helicopter downing is correct.

20.30 Baghdad. ROCKET MISSES RED CROSS WARD. The rockets launched at Baghdad Surgical Hospital miss the Red Cross ward one floor below the impact.

19.26 Ar Ramādi. US DENIES HELICOPTER SHOOTDOWN. US denies shoot down of a helicopter near Ramadi.

19.06 Baghdad. BAGHDAD MAYOR TO REMOVE SECURITY BARRIERS. Mayor of Baghdad will remove concrete barriers in front of hotels and government buildings.

18.36 Manila. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE ARRIVES HOME. Angelo de La Cruz arrives back in the Philippines.

18.33 Ar Ramādi. US HELICOPTER SHOT DOWN: 3 DEAD. Al Manar television in Lebanon reports that a US helicopter was shot down near Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

18.11 Cairo. ZEBARI PLEADS WITH NEIGHBORS: 'DEFEND OUR BORDERS'. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari pleads for security cooperation in Cairo.

17.31 Baghdad. HOSTAGES WILL BE EXECUTED: 72-HOUR ULTIMATUM. An Islamic group threatens to decapitate hostages within 72 hours if their employer, a Kuwaiti firm, does not end work in Iraq.

17.23 Dubai. AL ARABIYA: ISLAMIC GROUP TAKES HOSTAGES. The Islamic group "Black Flags” has taken six hostages - three Indians, two Kenyans and one Egyptian employed by a Kuwaiti firm in Iraq. In a video broadcast by Al Arabiya TV, the kidnappers threatened to kill the hostages if the Kuwaiti firm does not pull out of Iraq.

16.24 Baghdad. ROCKETS STRIKE HOSPITAL: 2 DEAD. Two people were killed and four wounded when a rocket hit the seventh floor of the Adnan Khairallah hospital in Baghdad. The dead were patients.

16.10 Sāmarā’. DEATHTOLL RISES TO 10. At least 10 dead so far in clashes between US troops and guerrillas.

16.07 Baghdad. CARBOMB IN BAGHDAD, FOUR DEAD. Four people were killed in a bombing in the New Baghdad quarter, say Iraqi police.

15.00 Ar Ramādi. CARBOMB. A car bomb went off near a hospital in Ramadi: three brothers killed.

14.54 Kirkūk. POLICE PATROL ATTACKED IN CITY, ONE DEAD. A local police officer was killed and four others wounded in Kirkuk when their patrol was attacked by RPGs as they were patrolling the eastern part of the city. The wounded are in critical condition.

14.07 Riyadh. HEAD OF EXECUTED US HOSTAGE FOUND. Security forces have found the head of Paul Johnson.

13.36 Warsaw. WARSAW AND SOFIA REJECT TERRORIST THREATS. Poland and Bulgaria reject threats and will remain in Iraq.

13.03 Baghdad. AL QAEDA MESSAGE TO POLAND AND BULGARIA. The Tawhid Islamic Group has threatened Bulgaria and Poland through an Islamic web site.

12.20 Manila. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE: MANILA DENIES RANSOM. The Manila government has denied paying a ransom for the release of Angelo de la Cruz.

12.19 Al Qurnah. ROCKETS FIRED AT DANISH BASE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ. The Danish base at al-Qurnah in the Province of Basrah was the target of rocket fire, says Danish Chief of Staff Hans Vedholm. No damage or injuries reported.

11.18 Sāmarā’. CLASHES IN CITY, 5 IRAQIS KILLED. Five Iraqis were killed and another 18 in a firefight between US troops and guerrillas in Sāmarā’, 100 km north of Baghdad. The rebels fired mortar rounds on US troops from a home. US troops called in air and ground support. The home was destroyed.

09.11 Sāmarā’. BODY OF SCIENTIST FOUND MUTILATED. The mutilated bodies of a scientist and another individual were found in Samara.

08.32 Riyadh. STREET BATTLE IN RIYADH, 2 MILITANTS KILLED AND 3 WOUNDED. Two suspected al-Qaeda members were killed and three others wounded in a battle with Saudi security forces in the King Fad residential quarter in the northern part of the city.

08.31 Doluiyah. US SOLDIER KILLED, SIX WOUNDED NORTH OF BAGHDAD. A US soldier was killed and six others wounded when their convoy was struck by a roadside bomb in Doluiyah, north of Baghdad.

08.15 Ar Ramādi. IRAQ: FOUR US TROOPS DIE IN COMBAT IN WESTERN IRAQ. At least four US troops were killed in al-Anbar Province.

20 July 2004 Events in Iraq

17.30 Baghdad. TWO IRAQI POLICEMEN KILLED SOUTH OF CAPITAL. Two Iraqi officers killed as guerrillas close off a road south of Baghdad.

16.50 New York. EL BARADEI, INSPECTORS TO RETURN TO IRAQ. IAEA Director Mohamed El Baradei says Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari has asked for return of inspectors.

16.45 Ramadi MARINE KILLED IN COMBAT WEST OF BAGHDAD. A Marine was killed in Al Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, during a "security and stabilization operation"

16.05 Baquba. MINIVAN EXPLODES IN BAQUBA, BOMB MAY HAVE BEEN INSIDE VEHICLE. The explosion of a minivan near Baquba could be the result of a bomb carried by one of the passengers which detonated early. The four men killed were veterinarians inspecting herds of livestock in the area.

14.55 Baquba. FOUR VETERINARIANS KILLED BY LANDMINE. Four Iraqi veterinarians were killed and another three wounded in the explosion of a landmine their passenger van passed over it in Ghalabia, 20 km west of Baghdad. A survivor said they had just been passed by a National Guard vehicle which is thought to have been the target.

14.45 Baghdad. AL ZARQAWI THREATENS MUSLIM COUNTRIES. Al Zarqawi threatens Muslim countries. "This message is meant for Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Gulf Emirates, Indonesia, and Malaysia: we are warning you for the last time; we will strike with an iron fist whoever supports the Americans or Allawi and his gang."

13.50 Baghdad. AL ZARQAWI THREATENS JAPAN. Al Zarqawi threatens Japan with terrorist action if Japan does not pull out of Iraq. "Do as the Philippines have done - because no one else can help you. Your destiny will be that of America and others."

13.15 Manila. WIFE OF PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE THANKS KIDNAPPERS. The wife of Angelo De La Crus, Arcenya De La Crus, has expressed thanks to the kidnappers for returning her husband.

11.51 Baghdad. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE WITH MANILA DIPLOMATS. Angelo De La Crus, who was released at the UAR embassy in Baghdad is now with Philippino diplomats and will be flown to Abu Dhabi for a medical exam.

11.23 Manila. PRESIDENT CONFIRMS RELEASE OF HOSTAGE. Philippines President Gloria Arroyo confirms release of Angelo De La Crus. I have just spoken with him. He is in good health, his morale is high and he sends his greetings to all Philippinos.

10.28 Baghdad. PHILIPPINE HOSTAGE RELEASED AT UAR EMBASSY.

10.24 Karbala. 500 IRANIAN PILGRIMS ARRESTED. Iraqi police blocked 500 clandestine pilgrims from entering Karbala.

10.23 Karbala ARRESTED MAN MAINTAINED ARSENAL. 80 rockets, 200 grenades, 400 grenade launchers, 30 machine guns and 26 bombs were found in Karbala

10.21 Mosul. EX-MILITARY OFFICER ARRESTED. An ex high-ranking officer of the Republican Guard was arrested in Mosul together with Saddam's chief bodyguard and feddayeen commander Munir Ibrahim.

09.46 Basrah. BODYGUARDS DIE IN AMBUSH. The ambush of Hazim Tawfiq Al-Anachia, provincial council official, at a checkpoint 100 meters from his home in the Jubaila quarter of Basrah also killed three of his four bodyguards. Men in police uniform ordered the car to stop and then opened fire.

09.45 Manila. RELEASE OF PHILIPPINE HOSTAGE UNCONFIRMED. Ricardo Saludo, spokesperson for Gloria Arroyo's government, says news of release unconfirmed.

09.37 Moscow. RUSSIA DENIES RUMOR OF TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO IRAQ. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Yakovenko says there is no plan to send a military contingent to Iraq. Rumors has circulated that the USA had made the request.

09.30 Dubai. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE RELEASED. Dubai's al-Arabiya TV says Angelo della Cruz is released.

09.26 Ramadi. IRAQI POLICEMAN KILLED. An Iraqi police officer was murdered at km. 160 on the Baghdad-Amman highway by a group of armed men.

09.09 Mosul. 41 EXTREMISTS ARRESTED. Iraqi police say 41 extremists were arrested.

07.49 Basrah. PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL ASSASSINATED. Hazem Tawfiq Ainachi was assassinated in Basrah. Tawfiq Ainachi was ex-Vice Provincial Governor and coordinated provincial council activities.

07.41 Manila. PHILIPPINES WITHDRAW TROOPS BUT HOSTAGE NOT YET RELEASED.

19 July 2004 Events in Iraq

20.04 Khaldiyah. IRAQI NATIONAL GUARDSMAN AND ONE CIVILIAN KILLED. Bodies found in town west of Ramadi

18.41 Baghdad. DEFENSE CONTRACTS MOTIVE FOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL SLAYING. Multibillion dollar defense contracts may be behind slaying of the Director General of the Defense Ministry. Issam Jassem Qassim, 55, was killed together with his bodyguard as he arrived home by four men traveling in a white GM Opel with no tags.

18.00 Baghdad. EGYPTIAN HOSTAGE FREED.

15.50 Baghdad. PHILIPPINO TROOPS COMPLETE PULLOUT. Iraqi security forces confirm pullout.

15.49 Basrah. BRITISH HELICOPTER DOWNED IN BASRAH. A British military helicopter went down near Basrah, killing one solider and wounding another. The cause has not been determined.

13.50 Baghdad. DEFENSE MINISTRY DIRECTOR GENERAL ASSASSINATED. Issam Jassem Kadhem was assassinated as he arrived at his home.

13.42 Baghdad. POLICE BARRACKS TRUCKBOMBING, CROWD CHEERS SADDAM. Scores of people reacted to this morning's rush hour truck bombing with dancing in the streets, songs praising Saddam Hussein and insults aimed at the United States and its coalition partners.

13.17 Amman. ALLAWI MAKES OFFICIAL VISIT TO JORDAN. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrived in Jordan for an official visit and was accompanied by eight members of the interim government. Talks will focus on border security issues and foreign debt.

12.40 Baghdad. 43 AMBASSADORS NAMED. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari announced the appointment of 43 Iraqi ambassadors. Their credentials have not yet been accepted by the host nations.

12.16 Manila. PHILIPPINO CONTINGENT TERMINATES MISSION. Foreign Minister Delia Albert says the Philippines contingent has abandoned its headquarters in the Province of Babil. The mission was ended one month early due to the kidnapping of Angelo de la Cruz.

11.41 Baghdad. AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST CONFIRMS THAT ALLAWI EXECUTED PRISONERS. The Australian journalist who reported the accusations against Premier Iyad Allawi of having killed six prisoners in cold blood today defended his story and his sources after Baghdad denied the event.

11.34 Baghdad. TRUCKBOMB IN BAGHDAD, 10 DEAD AND 68 WOUNDED. The suicide tanker truck bomb this morning targeting a police station in southern Baghdad killed ten and wounded 68. Many of the wounded are in critical condition.

10.45 Ramadi. POLICE OFFICERS KIDNAPPED IN FALLUJAH AND RAMADI EXECUTED. Police officer Nafi al Kubaisi, kidnapped in Fallujah, was executed by extremists. Al Iraqyia radio says another kidnapped officer was found dead in Ramadi.

10.20 Baghdad. JUSTICE MINISTER MAKES REQUEST FOR STATE OF EMERGENCY. Justice Minister Malek Dohan Al Hassan, who escaped an assassination attempt in Baghdad two days go which killed five of his men, has asked Premier Iyad Allawi to institute a state of emergency. Al Hassan complained of the work of the Interior Minister, Falah Hassan al Naqib: Absolutely no investigation to find those responsible was carried out at the scene of the assassination attempt. The police merely "counted the dead and picked up body parts.

10.00 Amman. PREMIER ALLAWI TRAVELS TO MEET ARAB LEADERS. Iyad Allawi has begun a two-week trip to restore relations with several Arab countries. Allawi is in Jordan today and will travel to Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAR.

09.40 Najaf. AFTER 56 DAYS, MUQTADA AL SADR REENTERS PUBLIC LIFE. Al Sadr reemerged today in Najaf, the scene of violent clashes in April. After prayers, Al Sadr went to the tomb of Imam Ali.

08.40 Baghdad. TRUCKBOMB IN BAGHDAD, EYE WITNESSES. There are body parts all over and corpses lying about. We found three carbonized bodies inside a home close to the police station, narrates Hasen Al Hashini, an official on the scene. The blast disintegrated more than 40 parked police cars and damaged another 50.

08.12 Baghdad. ONE PERSON IS WOUNDED NEAR GREEN ZONE. One person was wounded in Baghdad when a grenade was thrown at the Al Salhiya fire station just outside the Green Zone where the US Embassy and the Iraqi governmental headquarters are located.

08.05 Baghdad. TRUCKBOMB, DEATH TOLL MOUNTS. Truck bomb has killed between 10 and 15 and wounded 50.

08.00 Baghdad. FIVE DEAD AND THIRTY WOUNDED. A truck bomb exploded outside a police barracks in the southern part of the city. Iraqi policeman Haitham Salman says a utility van with one person aboard sped into the barracks parking lot and exploded. The blast occurred inside a vehicle maintenance shelter.

07.00 Baghdad. AT LEAST 8 DEAD IN BOMBING. Car bomb explodes at police barracks. Eight dead and many civilian wounded.

18 July 2004 Events in Iraq.

17.24 Kirkuk. 2 ARABS AND TWO KURDS KIDNAPPED. Two Arabs and two Kurds were kidnapped in Kirkuk in a feud raging between the two groups.

16.06 Baghdad. MYSTERIOUS MISSILE FIND. Baghdad newspaper Al Mashreq reports British find fourteen missiles. To hide missiles from US spy satellites, they had been buried in the deserts under a layer of salt.

15.45 Fallujah. GOVERNOR SAYS NO FOREIGNERS IN CITY. The governor of the city of Fallujah rejected claims by American forces that there were foreign fighters in the city. The claim was a pretext for an air raid on the city last night.

15.07 Fallujah. CASUALTY TOLL RISES: 14 DEAD AND 3 WOUNDED. US air strike on alleged terrorist cell in Fallujah kills 14, wounds 3.

14.58 Baghdad. BAN ON AL SADR'S NEWSPAPER LIFTED. Premier Iyad Allawi removes ban on newspaper published by Moqtada al-Sadr which had led to Shi'a revolt.

14.50 Fallujah. 25 ZARQAWI MILITIAMEN IN BOMBED AREA. US military command claims 25 al-Zarqawi militiamen were the target of last night's air strike.

14.40 Tikrit. CARBOMB IN TIKRIT, ONE POLICEMAN KILLED, ANOTHER WOUNDED.

14.25 Baghdad. ALLAWI APPROVES US AIR STIKE ON FALLUJAH. Last night's air stike on Falljah killing 11 had been approved by Allawi.

13.35 Suleimaniya. EX-COMMANDER OF THE REPUBLICAN GUARD CAPTURED. Sufyan Maher Hassan was arrested today in Saddam Hussein's home town.

12.50 Baghdad. IRAQI MINISTER COMPLAINS OF IRANIAN INFILTRATION. Interior Minister Falah al Nakib claims "heavy infiltration by Iranians" in Iraq. Matter to be discussed in Teheran by PM Iyad Allawi next week.

12.30 Baghdad. POLISH PREMIER VISITS CONTINGENT. Marek Belka is in Iraq today.

10.51 Fallujah. AIRSTRIKE SPARKS PROTESTS. Hundreds of people demonstrated against last night's US air strike which killed women and children. The protest was approved by the Iraqi military forces.

10.00 Fallujah. US AIR STRIKE: 11 DEAD. Sono undici, secondo fonti sanitarie, le vittime di un attacco aereo sferrato sulla città di Falluja dalle forze americane.

08.20 Tikrit. CARBOMB IN TIKRIT, POLICEMAN WOUNDED. A carbomb exploded near a checkpoint in downtown Tikrit located 500 meters from the Governor's residence.

08.00 Manila. DEFINITIVE PULLOUT BY PHILIPPINES TOMORROW. Foreign Minister Delia Albert says, The last remaining members of the Philippines humanitarian mission have reached the end of their mandate. After leaving Iraq they will go to Kuwait and return to Manila on a commercial flight.

17 July 2004 Events in Iraq

21.38 Baghdad. TWO EXPLOSIONS IN CAPITAL. Two powerful explosions in rapid succession were heard this evening in Baghdad. The blasts appear to come from the Green Zone, a fortified area where the US and British embassies and interim government headquarters are located. US helicopters are overflying the scene.

19.55 Samarra. US TROOPS KILL IRAQI POLICE OFFICER. US troops shot and killed an Iraqi police officer by mistake as the officer walked toward their checkpoint.

18.18 Baghdad. US AMBASSADOR: NO AMNESTY FOR ANYONE WHO HAS KILLED AN AMERICAN. John Negroponte say there will be no amnesty for anyone involved in killing Americans. Negroponte also said it was too soon to know when US troops would be withdrawn.

18.00 Baghdad. ISLAMIC PARTY OFFICIAL ASSASSINATED. A Sunni cleric and member of the Islamic Party was assassinated today in Baghdad. The victim was Abdel Samad al-Adhami, brother of Abdel Wahab al-Adhami, known for his opposition to the regime of Saddam Hussein.

17.36 The Hague. HOLLAND READY TO PARTIALLY CANCEL IRAQI DEBT. Holland is prepared to partially cancel 245 million Euros in debt and interest owed by Iraq, says Agnes van Ardenne, Minister of Development Aid at The Hague.

16.38 Baghdad. PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM TO PROTECT SADDAM'S LEGAL TEAM. Legal team says it has hired a private security firm to ensure the personal protection of its members and criticized the USA and Iraq for failing to provide the service.

16.15 Kirkuk. POLICE STATION ATTACKED: 5 WOUNDED. Two police, two civilians and a guerrilla were wounded during an attack on a police station in Hawijah, 50 km west of Kirkuk.

15.35 Ramadi. GUERRILLAS KILL AND PUT EYES OUT OF JORDANIAN TRUCK DRIVER Guerrillas shot and killed a Jordanian truck driver in western Iraq, then put his eyes out. Driver Ayid Nassir, was transporting food from Amman to Baghdad when he was attacked near Ramadi. The body was abandoned on the roadside.

15.30 Baiji. DYNAMITE ATTACK IN NORTHERN IRAQ, US SOLDIER KILLED. At least on US soldier was killed an another wounded in a dynamite attack on their convoy in Beiji in northern Iraq. The charge was remotely detonated as the convoy passed nearby.

15.26 Baghdad. EGYPTIAN HOSTAGE TO BE FREED TOMORROW. The Egyptian truck driver taken hostage in Iraq will be freed tomorrow, says his Saudi employer, informed by one of the kidnappers.

15.12 Samarra. CHALABI SUPPORTER ASSASSINATED. A leader of the Iraqi National Congress, Hamed Sabri, was assassinated today in Samarra together with his son.

15.08 Mosul. US SOLDIER KILLED IN AMBUSH. A US soldier was killed south of Mosul.

11.37 Manila. PHILIPPINE SOLDIERS IN KUWAIT. The first group of eleven Philippino soldiers withdrawn from Iraq are now in Kuwait.

11.25 Sydney. AUSTRALIAN PRESS REPORTS ALLAWI EXECUTED SEVEN INSURGENTS. PM Iyad Allawi shot seven insurgents dead with his pistol in Baghdad on 28 June. The Sydney Morning Herald says eyewitnesses viewed the killings at a Baghdad police station where prisoners were being kept. Allawi's office has denied the story.

11.08 Tikrit. SADDAM ERA GENERAL ARRESTED IN TIKRIT. An ex-Republican Guard general, responsible for the defense of Baghdad during the war, was arrested today in Tikrit by US forces. General Sofjan Maher was a home at the time with four other men. The general was taken during an "assault' inside Tikrit.

10.58 Baghdad. US TANKS DEPLOYED. US tanks are surrounding the Palestine Hotel, in downtown Baghdad and the Green Zone.

10.37 Baghdad. GROUP LINKED TO AL-ZARQAWI CLAIMS CREDIT FOR ATTACK ON MINISTER. A group linked to al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for morning's attack on the Iraqi Justice Minister. "Your brothers of Tawhid wa al-Jihad have conducted an operation against Malek Dohan al-Hassan, Minister of Justice for the puppet government".

10.22 Baghdad. TWO EXPLOSIONS, THREE WOUNDED. Two blasts went off in the in Adel quarter of Bagdad. Three persons , including two police officers were wounded. A third blast was avoided as the device was found and defused.

09.54 Nassiriya. ITALIANS BUILD MONUMENT TO MATTEO VANZAN. A small monument of copper and cement was erected in Nassiriya honoring Matteo Vanzan, killed in action, as a symbol of peace.

09.00 Baghdad. SUICIDE CARBOMB DIRECTED AT IRAQI MINISTER. The body of the suicide bomber was found, bringing the death toll to six."We are collecting body parts," says a policeman who says the scene is terrifying. Of the 21 wounded only 11 required hospital attention. 4 are in critical condition.

08.45 Mahmudiya. CARBOMB SOUTH OF BAGHDAD: TWO DEAD. A carbombing in Mahmudiya, 30 km south of Baghdad targeting an Iraq National Guard barracks kills 2 and wounds 25.

07.45 Mahmudiya. CARBOMB TARGETS NATIONAL GUARD. The explosion went off as dozens of young recruits were lined up in front of the barracks. The carbomber breached a checkpoint and was fired upon as the blast occurred.

07.30 Baghdad. FIVE DEAD IN CARBOMB TARGETING JUSTICE MINISTER. Bomb targeted Malek Doha Al Hassan, who was unharmed. Seven nearby cars were completely destroyed and four residences damaged. The blast killed the minister's bodyguards and passers-by.

16 July 2004 Events in Iraq

14:32 Baghdad. CARBOMBING. A car bomb went off today in Baghdad shortly after 1:00 pm as a US convoy passed nearby. One US soldier and three Iraqi civilians were injured. The incident occurred in the village of Bajaa on the road linking Baghdad and the airport.

13:30 Baghdad.nSUSPECTED AL QAEDA MILITANTS ARRESTED Iraqi National Guard troops arrest suspected AQ militants in Albo Eitha located in the suburbs south of the city.

10:00 Mosul. SECOND BODY DISCOVERED IN THE TIGRIS RIVER - Iraq police recovered a second body from the Tigris. The head was attached to the corpse but the throat was slit. General Salem Haj Issa says the victim is a Westerner.

09:00 Baghdad. ISLAMIC TROOPS INVITED TO IRAQ - Iyad Allawi has invited a handful of Islamic countries and India to provide peacekeeping troops to Iraq: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Marocco and Egypt.

08:45 Baghdad. ZARQAWI'S DRIVER ARRESTED. The driver for Abu Musab al Zarqawi was arrested.

08:15 Baghdada. SYRIA AND JORDAN FUND INSURGENTS. Allawi claims cash from Syria and Jordan is flowing into Iraq to support insurgents.

16 June 2004 Events in Iraq

18.00 Nassiriya. ITALIAN TROOPS REPAIR HOSPITAL. Italian troops have repaired the civilian hospital in Suq Ash Shuyukh, 30 km southeast of Nassiriya.

17.55 Balad. TWO US TROOPS DIE IN MORTAR ATTACK NORTH OF BAGHDAD. 2 US troops die and 23 are wounded in a attack on thier base in Balad, 75 km north of Baghdad

17.30 Baghdad. ITALIAN EMBASSY TO REOPEN ON 1 JULY. The embassy had been closed since 1 February 1991. [After today's news, that is a big maybe]

17.14 Baghdad. OIL MINISTER, BASRAH PIPELINE TO BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. Repairs to be completed within 48 hours.

17.01 Baghdad. US FORCES TO RELINQUISH CONTROL OF BAGHDAD AIRPORT ON 30 JUNE. US forces will transfer a portion of the Baghdad Airport to the Iraqi government on 30 June but will continue to occupy the remainder of the ground until August 15, according to the Iraqi Transportation Minister.

16.59 Basrah. DEMONSTRATION IN BASRAH AGAINST LOCAL AUTHORITIES. A big demonstration is ongoing in Basrah against Salim Matshar al-Taqi, City Council President, and Hasan al-Rashid, the city's Vice Governor, both members of the Badr Brigades, the militant wing of SCIRI. At least 2,000 protesters are demanding the dissolution of the municipal government.

16.40 Washington. 9-11 COMMISSION, IRAQ DID NOT REPLY TO OFFERS FROM BIN LADEN. The link between Iraq and al Qaeda claimed by President George W. Bush again yesterday but never explicitly proven has been dismissed by the 9-11 Commission. If anything AQ may have sponsored a terrorist bombing in Kurdistan against Saddam Hussein.

16.15 Washington. 9-11 COMMISSION: NO SADDAM-AL QAEDA LINK.

15.40 Basrah. SOUTHERN PIPELINE SABOTAGED [AGAIN]. Saboteurs bomb one of two pipelines in southern Iraq for the second time in 48 hours.

14.05 Amman. MULLAH KREKAR SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS HARD LABOR. Amman's national security court sentenced Ansar al-Islam's founder mullah Krekar to 15 years hard labor in abstentia. The group operates in Northern Iraq and is believed to have links to Al Qaeda.

13.57 Beirut. LEBANESE HOSTAGE FREED. Lebanese citizen Habib Samour was liberated today as reported by Lebanon TV.

13.29 Cairo. OIC SUPPORTS SOVEREIGNTY AND INDEPENDENCE FOR IRAQ. The organization of Islamic Conferences supports "complete sovereignty over all its territory and independence" for Iraq and has called for the formation of a government with a widened popular base and founded on full and complete representation as well as a constitution which has been accepted by the people.

12.50 Ramadi NINE DEAD IN BOMBING. Nine dead, including four foreigners, is the death toll from this morning's car bombing in Ramadi, 100 km west of Baghdad. 10 people were wounded in the carbombing of a convoy escorted by police.

12.20 Latifiya. 18 CIVILIANS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN RIVER. 18 teenagers working for the Coalition by clearing river grass obstructing flow were killed by lightning in Latifiya, 30 km south of Baghdad.

12.02 Baghdad. SIX MEMBERS OF IRAQI DEFENSE FORCE ARRESTED. Six members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps were arrested by US troops. There are suspected of complicity in a bombing which took the lives of 5 locals in western Iraq.

11.50 Teheran. IRANIAN PRESIDENT REQUESTS CLEMENCY FOR SADDAM. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has demanded a fair trial for Saddam Hussein, responsible for "terrible oppression against his people and the region". But Khatami added that "even oppressors deserve some clemency."

10.33 Bangkok. THAI TROOPS TO LEAVE IRAQ IN SEPTEMBER. The Thai humanitarian mission in Karbala will end in September, as planned.

10.12 Najaf. AL SADR ORDERS HIS MILITIA OUT OF NAJAF. Al Sadr has asked his followers to return to their homes.

10.04 Baghdad. WOLFOWITZ IN CAPITAL TO MEET WITH COALITION OFFICIALS Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz is in Baghdad for meetings.

09.41 Ramadi CARBOMBING IN CITY, 4 DEAD AND 5 WOUNDED. Four Iraqis, including 5 policemen, were killed and five wounded when a car bomb went off next ot a US civilian vehicle near the Grand Mosque located in eastern Ramadi.

09.23 Kirkuk. CHIEF OF OILFIED SECURITY SLAIN IN KIRKUK. Ghazi al-Talabani, head of oilfield security in Kirkuk, was assassinated in front of his house this morning.

15 July 2004 Events in Iraq

23.00 Rome. THREATS TO ITALY PUBLISHED AT WEBSITE LINKED TO AL QAEDA. An ultimatum was given to Italy threatening a bloodbath like that of September 11. The message says, this is an ultimatum to the Italian people....this is not a threat, but an attempt to show you reality as it is. We are ready to strike new targets with non-conventional weapons which will cause a large-scale disaster. The authenticity of the message remains in doubt.

22.30 Baghdad. EGYPTIAN HOSTAGE: 48-HOUR ULTIMATUM. The kidnappers of an Egyptian truck driver taken hostage on 7 July give 48 hours to his Saudi employer to leave Iraq.

22.04 The Hague. AL QAEDA THREATENS EUROPEAN UNION. Dutch Interior Mininster Johan Remkes says a threatening letter was delivered to Brussels and to the Hague.

21.15 Baghdad. IRAQ FOREIGN MINISTRY SECURITY CHIEF ASSASSINATED. The chief of security for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry was assassinated on the highway between Baghdad and Kirkuk. Two others were wounded in the attack.

21.04 Washington. HASSOUN RETURNS TO USA. The US Marine who disappeared in Iraq and surfaced three weeks later in Lebanon has returned to the USA.

20.45 Washington. TORTURE, SENATE COMMITTEE HEARS NEW EVIDENCE. The Senate Armed Services Committee meeting behind closed doors heard new evidence of abuse.

19.39 Fallujah. US FORCES ATTACKED. US forces came under fire in Fallujah when they attempted to send a convoy into the city. At least seven persons have been wounded, including two children.

18.50 Baghdad. DECAPITATED CORPSE FOUND IN TIGRIS. Body thought to belong to Bulgarian truck driver kidnapped on 29 June.

17.31 Baghdad POWERFUL EXPLOSIONS HEARD. A series of powerful explosions were heard to day in Baghdad in Haifa Street. US armored vehicles have closed off a street.

17.10 Kiev. ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT FOILED. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says a plot to assassinate a high-ranking Iraqi official was foiled.

16.25 Baghdad. KIDNAPPERS: HOSTAGE WILL BE FREED WHEN MANILA PULLS OUT TROOOPS. Kidnappers demand pullout of all Philippine troops by end of July before Philippino hostage will be released.

16.11 Kut. 15 PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR SABOTAGE. 15 people suspected of sabotage in the Ahrar region 30 km west of Kut were arrested and a large quantity of weapons sequestered.

15.41 Baghdad. OIL WELL BOMB DEFUSED. A 60-kg explosive device was found in a oil well in the Rashidja oil fields, 30 km from Baghdad, and defused.

15.33 Baghdad. 15 REBELS KILLED. 15 rebels were killed and another nine wounded in a roundup of suspects in the 7 July bombing in Haifa Street in Baghdad which killed 2 and wounded 19.

15.13 Manila. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE PHONES HOME. Al Jazeera tape shows truck driver Angelo de la Cruz telling family he is about to be released.

14:37 Damascus. PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE: MANILA ASKS FOR HELP FROM DAMASCUS. Philippine Security Counsel Norberto B. Gonzales is in talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa in Damascus.

14.16 Basrah. PIPELINE SABOTAGED. Blast hits pipeline on the Faw Peninsula. Meanwhile an Iraqi soldier guarding the Kirkuk to Beiji pipeline was killed.

14.10 Baghdad. ALLAWI ANNOUNCES MISSION TO MUSLIM COUNTRIES. Premier Iyad Allawi will begin a mission to seven Muslim countries: Jordan, Egypt, Syria, UAR, Kuweit, Iran and Pakistan. Allawi also plans a visit to the UK.

13.54 Baghdad. ALLAWI: NEW AGENCY TO COMBAT TERRORISM. Iyad Allawi anounces a new Iraqi agency to combat internal terrorism and restore stability to the country.

13.42 Baghdad. SEVEN LIQUOR STORES ATTACKED AND DESTROYED. Within 24 hours at least seven liquor stores were attacked in Baghdad by unknown Islamic radicals who either shot out the storefront windows or bombed the premises. All seven stores were completely demolished.

13.14 Damascus. DIPLOMAT SAYS PHILIPPINO HOSTAGE ALIVE. Truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, kidnapped last week, is still alive.

11.39 Baghdad. "DEATH TO SADDAM!": ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE IN BAGHDAD. Demonstrators is al-Tahreer Square shout, "Death to Saddam, Down with the Baath Party!"

11.19 Baghdad. ALLAWI CLAIMS ARREST OF AL QAEDA AGENT. Arab-language newspaper Al Hayat reports AQ agent arrested. No name was given.

11.02 Baghdad. ROCKETS FIRED AT NORTH BAGHDAD POLICE STATION. In Haditha, north of Baghdad, insurgents fire rockets at a police station and an bank.

10.40 Kirkuk. THREE CHILDREN KILLED IN BOMBING. Four members of the same family, including three children, were killed by a bomb in Kirkuk which missed a police station and landed on a nearby rooftop where the family was sleeping.

10.35 Baghdad. ATTACK IN NORTH BAGHDAD: 10 PEOPLE KILLED. Explosion kills 10 in Haditha, northwest of Baghdad.

09.23 Kirkuk. KIRKUK PIPELINE SABOTAGED, EXPORTS SUSPENDED. The pipeline carrying oil from Kirkuk to Ceyhan (Turkey) was sabotaged. The pipeline was bombed near Fatha, 90 km east of Kirkuk" at 6:30 am local time, says Adham Abdallah Jamal, Security Officer for the Northern Oil Company.

08.55 Karbala. SUICIDE CARBOMB IN CITY: DRIVER KILLED. A carbomb exploded at midnight local time in Karbala, 500 meters from the Bulgarian barracks there.

07.57 Baghdad. THREE POLICEMEN KILLED IN ATTACK NORTHWEST OF BAGHDAD. Explosion in the town of Haditha northwest of Baghdad hits police station, a bank and several shops. There are several wounded, mostly police.

07.00 Kirkuk. MORTAR ROUND KILLS FIVE IRAQI CIVILIANS. Midnight mortar round kills five members of the same family and wonlds two others in the Kurdish "Rahimao" quarter of Kirkuk as attackers miss a police station.

14 July 2004 Events in Iraq

20.40 Ramadi. FIVE ARE KILLED IN CLASHES. Five Iraqis were killed and 21 wounded in clashes with US forces in Ramadi.

20.17 Baghdad. SAUDI COMPANY TO LEAVE IRAQ TO SAVE EGYPTIAN HOSTAGE. The hostage's employer will leave Iraq.

19.45 Washington. BUSH BLAMES ZARQAWI FOR BAGHDAD CARBOMBING. President Bush in Fond du Lac, WI, attributes carbombing to al-Zarqawi.

19.27 Najaf. AYATOLLAH AL HAKIM'S ASSASSINS FOUND.

19.05 Karbala. 5 IRAQIS ARRESTED ON TERRORISM CHARGES .

17.53 Ramadi. INSURGENTS OPEN FIRE ON US TROOPS: THREE DEAD. US troops kill three insurgents and wounded 10 after they attacked a Bradley vehicle, setting it on fire.

17.44 Mosul. GOVERNOR ASSASSINATED ALONG WITH TWO BODYGUARDS. Assassination takes place in Baiji, on the highway to Baghdad. Armed gunmen blocked the road and fired RPGs into the convoy.

17.35 Mosul. TWO MARINES DIE IN ROAD ACCIDENT. Vehicle flipped over near Mosul in attempt to avoid oncoming truck.

17.22 Mosul. GOVERNOR SLAIN. Yussof Kashmula was slain while travelling to Baghdad.

17.03 Washington. WHITE HOUSE DOES NOT CONFIRM BAGHDAD CARBOMB, Today's carbomb in Baghdad killing at least ten people and wounding another 40 has not been confirmed, says White House spokesperson Claire Buchan.

16.58 Baghdad. ZARQAWI AGAIN THREATENS PREMIER ALLAWI. Abu Musab al Zarqawi vows Twahid wal Jihad will kill the Iraqi PM. We are going do harm to you, Allawi. You were lucky to escape missiles of death which rained down on your home but we have plenty more, thanks be to God.

16.53 Najaf. MOQTADA AL SADR WRITES TO RED CROSS, THANKING ORGANIZATION FOR ASSISTANCE. Moqtadar al Sadr thanks the Red Cross Commissioner Maurizio Scelli the humanitarian relief work in Najaf.

16.36 Manila. HOSTAGE IS OUT OF DANGER AND MAY RETURN HOME TOMORROW. Angelo de la Cruz, held hostage by the Khaled bin al Walid Brigade will not be executed says Philippines Foreign Ministry. The Manila government has already repatriated 8 soldiers.

16.25 Cairo. EGYPT DEMANDS RELEASE OF HOSTAGE. Egypt has asked for the release of an Egyptian truck driver held hostage.

16.20 Baghdad. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY ASSASSINATED. Sabir Karim was assassinated in Baghdad in front of his home in the Sadiya quarter of Baghdad by gunmen with silencers.

14.44 Atlanta. CNN, BULGARIAN REPORTED EXECUTED COULD STILL BE ALIVE. Iraqi General Mohammed Khairi Barhawi says Bulgarian hostage is likely still alive near Moseul.

14.37 London. BLAIR ACCEPTS CONCLUSIONS OF BUTLER REPORT.

14.33 Baghdad. ALLAWI DENOUNCES SADDAM HUSSEIN'S TIES TO TERRORISTS. Iyad Allawi claims Saddam Hussein had ties to Carlos the Jackal and Abu Nida as well as to al-Qaeda operative in Sudan.

14.00 Baghdad. BULGARIAN HOSTAGE: POLICE SEARCH FOR BODY. The body of Bulgarian truck driver Georghi has not been found.

13.45 London. BUTLER REPORT, BLAIR GAVE A FALSE IMPRESSION. Butler Report says Tony Blair reinforced the impression that WMD intelligence was more consistent and certain than it really was.

13.35 London. BUTLER REPORT, BRITISH INTELLIGENCE WRONG. The report issued by Lord Butler of Brockwell says intelligence seriously wrong.

13.15 Sofia. BULGARIAN HOSTAGE EXECUTED IN RETALIATION. Yesterday's firefight between Iraqi security forces and insurgents "nullified" any effort by the Bulgarian government to negotiate release of hostage, says Bulgarian news agency, Fokus.

12.41 Baghdad. ALLAWI JUSTIFIES US INTERVENTION IN IRAQ. Iyad Allawi says US was right to attack Iraq.

11.34 Sofia. BULGARIAN FORCES TO REMAIN IN IRAQ. Bulgarian Prime Minister says troops to stay.

11.27 Baghdad. AL SAMARRAI ARRESTED. Adnan Hamad Al-Samarrai, the ex high-ranking official of the Muqabarat, has been arrested in connection with the 17 March carbombing of the Mount Lebanon hotel in the Karrada quarter of Baghdad.

11.08 Safia. BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT POWERLESS. Bulgarian Government spokesperson Dimitar Tsonev says it is up to "the sovereign state of Iraq" to negotiate with kidnappers.

09.40 Baghdad. ALLAWI SAYS TODAY'S CARBOMBING IS RETALIATION. Yiad Allawi says today's carbombing is in retaliation for arrests made over the last few days.

09.23 Manila. GOVERNMENT SAYS HOSTAGE IS SAFE AND OUT OF MORTAL DANGER.

09.16 Baghdad ALLAWI SAYS 10 DEAD AND 40 WOUNDED IN CARBOMBING: Seven Iraqi National Guards and three civilians killed.

08.52 Baghdad. US SOLDIER WOUNDED. US soldier wounded in carbombing.

08.33 Baghdad. HOSPITAL REPORTS THREE DEAD AND 23 WOUNDED. Karama Hospital has received three dead and three wounded; Yarmouk Hospital has treated 20 seriously wounded.

07:53 Baghdad. MANY DEAD AND WOUNDED IN BAGHDAD CARBOMBING. A car parked at the entrance ot the Green Zone has exploded.

07.43 Doha. AL JAZEERA CONFIRMS CARBOMBING: Car explodes near US embassy at the entrance to the Green Zone.

07.40 Manila. PHILIPPINE ARMY PREPARES PULLOUT. Six days away from an ultimatum deadline, Manila has dispatched transport aircraft to repatriate its troops. However military authorities deny receiving any order concerning a pullout.

07.23 Baghdad. POWERFUL EXPLOSION NEAR GREEN ZONE Column of smoke seen rising near Green Zone.

6 July 2004 Events in Iraq.

19.38 Kirkuk. STRATEGIC GAS PIPELINE SABOTAGED. A strategic gas pipeline supplying Iraqi cities and power stations was sabotaged today. The action will create energy shortages throughout Iraq.

19.15 London. WMD: BLAIR SAYS WEAPONS WILL NEVER BE FOUND. British PM Tony Blair said in a Parliamentary session today that Saddam Hussein's WMD may never be found. Within a week, the Butler Report investigating information supplied by Britain's intelligence agencies included in the 2002 dossier which led to war will be released.

18.41 Baquba. NINE DEAD AND 36 WOUNDED. Casualty toll in Baquba bombing climbs.

18.10 Baghdad. AL ZARQAWI THREATENED WITH DEATH BY IRAQI GROUP. Al Arabiya TV broadcast a video showing masked fighters swearing death to Al Zarkawi The group calls itelf the "Salvation Movement" and accuses Zarqawi of using Islam as a justification to kill innocents. [This group has Negroponte Paramilitary Death Squad written all over it.--PT]

17.50 Washington. BUSH: "WE ARE WITNESSING A TRANSFORMATION". The US President Icelandic tells Premier David Oddsson that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the world and that he had the intention and capacity to produce WMDs. Bush says Saddam knew Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. [CYA]

17.00 Baquba CARBOMB IN CITY, 8 DEAD, 35 WOUNDED. General Walid Khaled Abdelsalam, police chief of Diyala Province says a carbomb exploded near the family home of a deceased provincial official in Baquba who was assassinated on Sunday.

16.58 Baquba. CARBOMB IN BAQUBA, NUMBER OF VICTIMS UNKNOWN. Khalis Hospital Director Ammar Sobhi Zidane says 8 are known dead and 23 wounded. Most of the wounded are in serious condition

16.52 Baghdad. IRAQI LEADERSHIP SIGNS SECURITY LAW. The interim leaders of Iraq have signed a national security law containing extraordinary measures meant to restore order to Iraq, says Vice President Ibrahim Al Jafaari.

16.41 Baquba. 13 DEAD AND 25 WOUNDED IN CARBOMBING. According to al-Jazeera TV, the target of a bombing were mourners at the funeral of the brother of the governor of Khalis.

16.37 Baquba. 6 DEAD AND 35 WOUNDED IN CARBOMBING. Explosion hits town of Khalis, near Baquba.

16.08 Baqubaa. NUMEROUS VICTIMS IN CARBOMBING. A car exploded near the family residence of a local notable during the funeral of his brother who was killed on Sunday by unknown assailants.

15.39 Baghdad. CARBOMB: 12 DEAD Twelve people die and 25 wounded in a carbombing in Baghdad in the al-Khales quarter in the northeastern part of the city.

15.37 Baquba. CARBOMB DETONATES IN BAQUBA.

15.14 Rome. NASSIRIYA ROAD ACCIDENT; BODY OF ITALIAN VICTIME RETURNED TO LECCE. The body of Antonio Tarantino, killed yesterday in Nassiriya in a road mishap, was repatriated.

14.07 Doha. AMERICAN-LEBANESE MARINE ALIVE AND WELL. Wassef Ali Hassoun sends message to brother through al Jazeera TV.

13.50 Teheran. KHAMENEI, IRAQIS ALONE MUST JUDGE SADDAM. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the attack on Iran and the eight years of war which followed must be among the principal charges against Saddam Hussein, but says Iraqis alone must judge him.

12.50 Baghdad. ALLAWI ORDERED ATTACK ON FALLUJAH. Yesterday's airstrike on Falluja was carried out in response to intelligence received by Iraqi intelligence.

12.39 Kut. ATTACK ON UKRAINIAN-AMERICAN CONVOY THWARTED. An attack on a Coalition convoy in the Shi'ite province of Wassit was thwarted.

12.30 Baghdad. NATO DELEGATION ARRIVES. Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, of NATO's Southern Command, was accompanied by high-ranking British and Italian military officials arrives in Baghdad.

12.29 Teheran. IRAN REQUESTS EXTRADITION OF SADDAM. Iranian Justice Ministry official Gholamhossein Elham was extradition for war crimes.

12.27 Baghdad. ISLAMIC MOVEMENT WANTS ZARQAWI TO LEAVE COUNTRY. An armed Islamic group called 'Iraqi Salvation Movement' sent at videorecording to Al Arabyia TV calling on Zarqawi to leave the country immediately. The group "swears to hunt him down and kill him to save the Iraqi people." [Ambassador Negroponte, this is too blatant].

12.13 Baghdad. BLAIR ON SADDAM'S WMD. Tony Blair admitted that chemical and biological weapons may never be found. We know that Saddam Hussein had WMD but we also know that we have not found them. We must accept that we may never find them.

11.33 Baghdad. CITY COUNCILMAN ASSASSINATED. A city councilman representing the Sunni Adamyia Quarter was assassinated before city hall. Sabah Nagi Kadum was machine gunned by a passing car.

11.22 Fallujah. FOUR POWERFUL EXPLOSIONS IN CITY. Four explosions were heard in proximity to the home destroyed yesterday in a US airstrike.

11.13 Sulaymaniya. SUICIDE BOMBER THWARTED. Iraqi police shot and killed a suspected suicide bomber in Sulaymaniya in Northern Iraq in front of the Hotel Palace where foreigners are known to stay, says PUK leader Jalal Talabani.

11.07 Nassiriya. NO SIGN OF HIT AND RUN TRUCK. Italian troops and local authorities are unable to find a hit-and-run truck which killed an Italian serviceman yesterday.

11.00 Baghdad. UK AMBASSADOR ARRIVES IN BAGHDAD. Ambassador Edward Chaplin arrived today.

10.33 Teheran. TWO IRANIANS ARRESTED FOR ASSEMBLING BOMB. Deputy Minister of Interior Hikmat Mussa Suleiman says two Iranians were arrested in Rasafa while they were assembling a bomb.

10.12 Ramadi. THREE MARINES KILLED IN AL-ANBAR PROVINCE. Two marines died on the spot and the third later died of his wounds in a firefight.

09.10 New York. NYT: CIA DID NOT SUPPLY COMPLETE DOSSIER. According to the NYT, the CIA did not inform George Bush that Saddam had abandoned his WMD programs.

09.00 Baghdad. US TROOPS FIRE ON CAR, KILL CHILD. US soldiers opened fire on a car they said did not stop at a checkpoint, killing one child and wounding another.

5 July 2004 Events in Iraq

20.29 Basrah. EIGHT FOREIGN FIGHTERS ARRESTED. Eight Islamic extremists (seven Iraqis and a Libyan) were arrested in Basrah. They were in possession of arms and explosives.

20.16 Doha. AL JAZEERA, AMERICAN HOSTAGE FREED. US Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun has been released to a safe location after promising not to return to his unit.

19.34 Baghdad. JANUARY ELECTIONS POSSIBLY POSTPONED. The general elections scheduled for January may be postponed because of insecurity in the country, reports newspaper Azzaman.

19.25 Fallujah. FIFTEEN DIE IN FALLUJAH RAID US airstrike on Falluja kills 15, as reported by Al Arabyia TV.

19.09 Baghdad. ALLAWI MAY ATTEND EU MINISTERS' SUMMIT. Iraqi Premier Iyyad Allawi may join the EU Ministers' Summit on July 12 to be chaired by the Netherlands says Italian government. [This has to be a 'trial balloon'--Nur]

18.12 Fallujah. US RAIDS HOME, AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED. A house was blown up in Falluja, thought to be the stronghold of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, during a US raid. The cause of the explosion is not known.

16.50 Karbala. TWO DEAD AND SIX WOUNDED IN EXPLOSION. Two Iraqis are dead and six are wounded in an explosion in Karbala reports hospital doctor Ali al-Arjawi at al-Hussein Hospital south Baghdad, Dr.Arjawi says the bomb had been placed in the eastern part of Karbala and was intended to strike a Coalition convoy.

16.15 Berlin. GERMAN WEBSITE REPORTS RED CROSS HAS DENOUNCED CHILD ABUSE IN US-RUN PRISIONS. More than one hundred children were arrested and suffered mistreatment at the hands of US and Coaltion soldiers, says Der Spiegel online.

15.50 Baghdad. ISLAMIC WEBSITE REPORTS IRAQI SOLDIER HAS KILLED FOUR MARINES. An Iraqi soldier who accompanied a unit of US soldiers in rounding up villagers in northern Iraq fired at Marines and killed four reports the Islamic site "Alkalaa". The incident allegedly took place in the village of Al-Buhishma, near Tikrit within the 'Sunni Triangle.'

15.33 Baghdad. IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION MINISTER THREATENS CANCELLATION OF CONTRACTS. Iraqi Reconstruction Minister Umar Alfaruk Aldamalugi threatens to cancel Iraqi and foreign contracts if the construction schedules are not met.

15.29 Brussels. NATO EXPLORATORY MISSION TO LEAVE WITHIN 48-72 HOURS. The Nato mission to explore the training of Iraqi troops will leave for Baghdad within 48-72 hours.

15.00 Amman. SADDAM'S LEGAL TEAM TAPS IRAQI LAWYER. Saddam Hussein's legal time has asked an Iraqi lawyer to join them in defending the ex-dictator before the Iraqi Special Tribunal.

14.36 Rome. ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES ALLAWI AMENSTY PROPOSAL. Italian FM Franco Frattini supports decision.

14.27 Baghdad. US AMBULANCE RECEIVES FIRE, WOUNDED REPORTED. A US Army ambulance was hit with gunfire this morning. Al Arabiya TV reports that there are wounded.

14.23 Nassiriya. ITALIAN SOLDIER KILLED IN ROAD MISHAP WAS FROM PROVINCE OF LECCE. First Corporal Antonio Tarantino, 26, died in a road crash in his military vehicle.

13.45 London. JACK STRAW FAVORS ONLY PARTIAL AMNESTY. British FM Jack Straw says favors only partial amnesty to Iraqi guerrillas. It is expected that Baghdad will announce later today that Iraqi insurgents who haven't killed anyone will be amnestied.

13.40 Nassiriya. ROAD ACCIDENT IN NASSIRIYA, ITALIAN TROOPS INVOLVED WERE ALL SOUTHERNERS. A passenger car appeared to be headed from the right towards their vehicle as they drove towards Talil Air Base. The four Italians swerved left to avoid it and were rammed headon by a truck travelling in the opposite direction. The truck has not been located.

13.15 Baghdad. ITALIAN EMBASSY DENIES REPORT OF KIDNAPPED ITALIANS. Italian Ambassador De Martino denies report that two Italian nationals were kidapped in April in Fallujah and are still in the hands of their kidnappers.

13.00 Nassiriya. ITALIANS PUT FLAG AT HALF-MAST AT CAMP MITTICA. Camp Mittica lowered the Italian flag to half-mast after death of Italian soldier in a road accident.

12.44 Baghdad. IRAQI GOVERNMENT POSTPONES EMERGENCY SECURITY MEASURES. The provisional Iraq government was going to announce drastic security measures this morning but postponed the decision at the last minute. The scheduled press conference was cancelled.

12.26 New York. NYT REPORT SADDAM'S CLAN SUPPORTS INSURGENTS WITH ARMS AND CASH. The Al-Tikriti clan is organized in Syria and Jordan to forward contraband, fighters and cash to Iraq reports the NYT.

12.06 Baghdad. ALLAWI REJECTS TROOP OFFERS FROM SURROUNDING COUNTRIES. The interim Iraqi government does not want peacekeeping troops from adjoining countries in Iraq. Instead, Allawi calls on them to monitor their frontiers with Iraq and to stop the infiltrations of fighters.

11.37 Mosul. FIVE IRAQIS WOUNDED BY BOMB. A roadside bomb in Mossul wounds 5 Iraqis.

11.28 Teheran. IRAN SAYS ARREST OF TWO IRANIANS IN BAGHDAD IS A LIE. Iranian spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh says the report by the Italian press agency ANSA that two Iranians had been arrested in Baghdad with a carbomb is a lie.

11.05 Nassiriya. MEDICAL HELICOPTER EVACUATES INJURED ITALIAN TROOPS. Italians hurt in a road crash on the road between Base White Horse and Tallil Air Base have been evacuated by helicopter.

11.02 Samawa. IRAQI WOUNDED BY BOMB IN SOUTH OF IRAQ An Iraqi civilian was wounded by a roadside bomb meant for a US convoy in Samawa.

10.58 Baquba. RELATIVES OF DEPUTY PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR ARE ASSASSINATED. The brother and another relative of the Deputy Governor of Baquba were killed this morning by unknown gunmen.

10.45 Basrah. POLICE STATION ATTACKED. One Iraqi civilian was killed and three others, including a woman, are wounded in an attack on a police station in Basrah.

10.43 Baghdad. IRANIANS ARRESTED WITH CARBOMB. Baghdad police claim 2 Iranian nationals were arrested with a carbomb in the Talibia quarter inside Sadr City.

10.40 Baghdad. NIGHTTIME SKIRMISHES WITH US FORCES, FOUR IRAQIS KILLED. A violent firefight occured last night in the village of Alkhalis in Diyala Province north of Baghdad between insurgents and US forces. Several Iraqis were killed and another eleven wounded.

10.26 Baghdad. SADR RENEWS RESISTANCE AGAINST OCCUPATION FORCES. Muqtada al Sadr relaunches the resistance and vows to fight "until the list drop of blood." Al Sadr also called the appointed "illegitimate and illegal". Iyad Allawi appears to have withdrawn offer to transform the Mahdi Army into a political party.

4 July 2004 Events in Iraq

20.00 Baghdad. ANSAR AL-SUNNA, MESSAGE TO BUSH. The authenticity of the most recent communique from Ansar al-Sunna addressed to George Bush demanding the pullout of US troops has not been confirmed. Your soldier had a relationship with an Arab girl and was lured off base. The US Army claims that Hassoun was missing since 21 June but it cannot confirm that he was kidnapped.

19.50 Baghdad. ANSAR AL SUNNA, WE HAVE KIDNAPPED ANOTHER US SOLDIER. Ansar al -Sunna, in its communique on the execution of the US Marine of Lebanese origin, says the organization has taken another "infidel" hostage.

19.12 Baghdad GUERRILLAS: US MARINE EXECUTED . The Ansar al-Sunna Army has announced that it has decapitated Wassef Ali Hassoun.

17:00 ALAWI PREPARED TO OFFER AMNESTY TO MOQTADA AL SADR.

15.54 Baghdad. OIL-FOR-FOOD INVESTIGATOR DIES. Ihsan Karim died today in Baghdad. The high-ranking Finance Ministry official had been investigating the Oil-for-Food scandal.

15.22 New York. UN: MUSLIM INDIAN TO BE KOFI ANNAN'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE. An Indian ex-diplomat, Salman Haidar, to be tapped as the UN representative in Iraq. He had served as New Delhi's Deputy Secretary of State.

15.12 Manama. BAHRAIN PREPARED GIVE NAVAL ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ. King Hamad of Bahrain has announced that is country is prepared to participate in a naval force to assume security duties in Iraqi territorial waters if requested in Baghdad.

14.41 Baghdad. ADMINISTRATION OF AIRPORT RETURNED TO IRAQ. Baghdad International Airport is to be managed by the Transportation Mininstry. Security will still be run by international contractors. There are no Customs personnel at this time.

14.33 Brussels. NATO TO SEND INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO IRAQ. Nato will send a small delegation of less than 10 people to Iraq next week.

13.35 Basrah. PIPELINE SABOTAGED, EXPORTS CUT IN HALF. Sabotage has taken out of service the Khor al-Amaya Terminal.

13.13 Baghdad. CHECKPOINT ATTACKED, SIX IRAQI SOLDIERS DEAD. Guerillas attacked a checkpoint at Mahmudiyah, 30 km south of Baghdad. Six Iraqi soldiers are dead and another 5 wounded.

13:00 Tripoli. GHEDAFFI'S DAUGHTER TO JOIN LEGAL TEAM. Aisha Gaddafi, 26, to join legal team.

12.45 Basrah. BRITISH CONVOY ATTACKED, ONE WOUNDED. A British soldier was slightly wounded by a roadside bomb.

12.00 Mosul. CHECKPOINT ATTACKED, POLICEMAN DEAD. Guerrillas attacked a checkpoint in Mossul with automatic weapons, killind one Iraqi policeman

11.44 Baghdad. POLICE FOIL ATTACK ON TRAIN. Iraqi police foiled an attack on a passenger train travelling to Basrah. Our agents located and defused a rocket positioned to be fired from the Daudi residential district in Baghdad."

10.20 Basrah. OIL PIPELINE SABOTAGED IN SOUTHERN IRAQ. An oil pipeline was sabotaged and set on fire.

09.10 Ramadi MARINE WOUNDED IN AL-ANBAR PROVINCE DIES.

08.40 Baghdad. CLANDESTINE CARBOMB FACTORY DISCOVERED. US 8th Cavalry conducts raid and arrests 51 people. Four boobytrapped cars were found.

2 July 2004 Events in Iraq

16.35 Baghdad. PAKISTANI HOSTAGE FREED.

16.30 Fallujah TWO MARINES KILLED. Two Marines were killed in two separate incidents near Falluja. One Marine was killed in al-Anbar Province in a "security and stabilization mission". The other Marine died of wounds received yesterday outside Fallujah.

15.30 Paris. FRENCH LAWYER REPRESENTING SADDAM: "SPECIAL IRAQI TRIBUNAL ILLEGAL". Emmanuel Ludot, a French defender on Saddam's 20-man legal team, said in an interview with Le Figaro that the Special Iraqi Tribunal is illegal and that "Iraq was invaded and occupied in an illegal war, without mandate from the US and in violation of international law." The arrest and detention of the ex-dictator is "irregular". Saddam claims he is head of state because, says Ludot, he does not recognize the new government nor the tribunal which is to judge him.

13.30 Washington. POWELL: "SADDAM PRESUMED INNOCENT". Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iraqi ex-dictator Saddam Hussein will be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The world must carefully observe and carefully listen., said Powell in his first comments on the pre-trial hearing for Saddam and eleven of his henchmen. Let's say that he is innocent if you will...that he's innocent, let's says so and let the Iraqi people decide through the tribunal." Iraq will finally see a "new type of justice.

13.00 Kut. UKRAININAN SOLIDER COMMITS SUICIDE. A Ukrainian soldier has taken his own life in Iraq. Sergeant Ruslan Henzersky, 23, stationed in the central Iraqi province of Wasit, shot himself while on guard duty. His body was found as his relief came on duty. Henzersky is the second Ukrainian soldier of a contingent of 1,650 to commit suicide. Last year a Ukrainian interpreter of Arab origin killed himself.

12.50 Samarra. PRO SADDAM DEMONSTRATION. Hundreds of supporters of Saddam Hussein jammed the streets in Samarra, north of Bagdad in the aftermath of Saddam's pre-trial hearing. Protesters, joined by many women and children, were heard to shout, "With our blood, with our hearts, we shall defend Saddam; Saddam is the glory of the country". Men fired into the air with thier Kalashnikov's.

09.00 Baghdad. GUERRILLAS ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF TWO TURKISH HOSTAGES. In A video turned over to Reuters, the kidnappers release the duo after they promised to quit their jobs with the US military. A few days ago, three other Turks were released.

07.30 Washington. GEN. MYERS: WE MAY KEEP 145,000 MEN IN IRAQ FOR 5 MORE YEARS. Gen. Richard Myers said in an interview with PBS that "We can do it and we are preparing ourselves to do so". Washington has just announced the call-up of 5.600 soldiers who have completed their military commitment for logistics support. It may take six months, a year, a year and a half, two years, three years and probably four or five before the Iraqis are will have what we judge necessary to handle the difficult security situation in their country, says Myers.

07.25 Baghdad. ROCKETS STRIKE HOTEL. Rockets have struck two Baghdad hotels lodging foreign journalists and businessmen. The first rocket hit the 10th floor of the Sheraton while the second hit the parking garage of the Bagdad Hotel. The rockets were fired from a pickup truck which caught fire and burned in Ferdus Square, near the Sheraton and the Palestine hotels.

1 July 2004 Events in Iraq

Today's chaos: Kalashnikovs are Not Enough, Zarkawi misses appointment, Kuwaiti hounds and goodbye to Sanchez.

22.25 Baghdad. SHELLS TESTED. A dozen projectile shells found by the police will be tested for the presence of Sarin. They have already tested positive for mustard gas. The shells were manufactured prior to 1991.

21.45 New York. BLIX: IRAQIS ARE RELIEVED. I think the Iraqis must be relieved to see Saddam Hussein before a tribunal of Iraqi judges. The Iraqis lived through decades of tyranny, it must be liberating to be rid of him. But that doesn't mean that occupation should substitute tyranny.

21.12 Sacramento. RUMSFELD: POLISH CONTINGENT FINDS CHEMICAL WEAPONS. The Poles have found 16 or 17 shells with mustard gas and Sarin capable of killing thousands of people, says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in a radio interview in California.

21.00 London. UK OPPOSED TO DEATH PENALTY FOR SADDAM. A spokesman for Tony Blair states position of London, saying: We have notified the Iraqi government of our position. But it is an Iraqi trial and a sovereign country is a sovereign country.

20.50 Washington. CHENEY: WAR ON TERROR REQUIRES DECISIVE ACTION. Dick Cheney says that war on terror requires decisive action and that America is safer after the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan.

20.22 Amman. SADDAM'S ATTORNEYS: THE TRIAL IS A FARCE. The trial of Saddam Hussein is only a farse to satisfy the Anglo-american coalition., says British attorney Tim Hughes, a member of the legal team defending the ex-dictator.

19.50 Baghdad. UN LOOKS FOR OFFICE SPACE IN BAGHDAD. The United Nations is returning to Iraq and is looking for a building in Baghdad to house their offices.

19.45 Moscow. PUTIN SENDS MESSAGE OF FRIENDSHIP TO NEW IRAQI GOVERNMENT Russian President Putin recalls traditional good relations between Baghdad and Moscow.

19.11 Tikrit. TIKRIT LAMENTS SADDAM. Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town, was sullen as residents did not hide their bitterness after seeing Saddam in chains as he appeared in a pretrial hearing.

19.00 Washington. BUSH HAPPY TO SEE SADDAM BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. US President George W. Bush is happy to see Saddam Hussein brought to justice, says Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

18.50 Amman. SADDAM'S LEGAL TEAM HEADS FOR BAGHDAD. Saddam Hussein's legal defense team prepares to leave for Baghdad, despite lack of security, says Ziad Khasaweneh, one of 25 members of the team. The team will also defend ex-Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and ex-Defense Minister Mohammad Sultan Hashem.

18.23 Baghdad. TRIAL OF SADDAM: ELEVEN FORMER COLLABORATORS CHARGED. Following that for Saddam Hussein, a pretrial hearing was held for eleven others including ex-Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz, Hassan Ali al-Majid ("Chemical" Ali), and Taha Yassin Ramadan, ex-Vice President.

17.55 Rome. ITALY SAYS 'NO' TO DEATH PENALTY FOR SADDAM. Saddam Hussein's execution must be avoided despite the enormity of Saddam's crimes, says Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. I personally fought the campaign for a moratorium against capital punishmen worldover and I don't know if the 'Alawi government has reintroduced the death penalty.

17.44 Baghdad. SADDAM'S PRE-TRIAL HEARING CONCLUDES.

17.15 Ramadi. US MARINE KILLED. An American Marine was killed today in Anbar Province in western Iraq.

15.50 Baghdad. SADDAM: THE SOLE CHRISTIAN IN NEW GOVERNMENT WANTS DEATH PENALTY. The only Christian in the new Iraqi government, Ms. Pascale Icho Warda, favors the death penalty for Saddam Hussein. Ms. Warda said in an interview French newspaper, Le Parisien, We have brought back the death penalty. Whatever the final decision of the judges, I personally am in favor of seeing Saddam receive a death sentence.

15,50 Baghdad. AL QAEDA, ZARQAWI PLAN TO KIDNAP US SERVICEWOMEN. Abu Musab al Zarqawi wants to take US female soldiers hostage to get even for Lynndie England's treatment of Iraqi prisoners, reports The Washington Times.

14,30 Baghdad. SADDAM ON TV: BEARDED AND WEARING GRAY SUIT, BBC transmits images of pretrial hearing showing Saddam with a manicured salt-and-pepper beard and wearing a gray suit and white shirt without a tie. He had visibly lost weight.

14:00 Baghdad. SADDAM MAKES FUN OF JUDGE AND THE USA. Those Americans say I have millions squirreled away in Switzerland, so why are you asking me if I can afford a lawyer? , was the half-smiling retort of Saddam Hussein, when asked in his pretrial hearing if the had the resources to pay for his legal defense.

13.50 Baghdad. SADDAM: I LEARNED ABOUT THE MASSACRE OF THE KURDS ON TV. Saddam Hussein says he found out about the 1988 Halabja massacre through the television. Together with the charge of invading Kuwait, these were the only two charges eliciting comment from Saddam.

13.40 Nassiriya. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT ASKS ITALIAN CONTINGENT TO STAY. Nassiriya Governor Sabri Hamid Al Rumayad, asked the Italian contingent to stay and to procure heavy weapons for the local security force. "Our Kalashnikovs are not enough to combat the enemy".

13.38 Baghdad. SADDAM TIRED AND CONFUSED: "I AM THE PRESIDENT OF IRAQ". Saddam appeared to be a mere shadow of his former self. At the conclusion of his pre-trial hearing, he was heard to sigh, " "halas" (finally!) and got up to leave.

13.31 Baghdad. SADDAM: 'THIS HEARING IS A COMEDY'. "This hearing is a comedy", exclaimed Saddam Hussein in front of the Iraqi judge holding the hearing.

13,30 Baghdad. SADDAM: 'KUWAITIS ARE DOGS'.

13,29 Baghdad. SADDAM: 'BUSH IS THE REAL CRIMINAL.'

13,22 Baghdad. SADDAM'S HEARING CONCLUDES.

13,15 Baghdad. SADDAM REFUSES TO SIGN RAP SHEET. Saddam Hussein refused to initial a document detailing the charges against him. He also defended the invasion of Kuwait.

12,19 Nassiriya. CARBOMB THREATS. "We have received creditable information on the possibility of attacks on our province.", says the head of the Iraqi national guard in Nassiriya.

12,17 Baghdad. SADDAM APPEARS BEFORE JUDICIAL PANEL. Saddam Hussein appeared before a judicial panel and was charged with 12 counts, including war crimes ans genocide. The hearing was held in a secret location near Baghdad. Delayed images were relayed to the waiting room.

11,05 Baghdad. FINANCE MINISTRY OFFICIAL FATALLY WOUNDED. Finance Ministry official Ihsane Karim Ghanem was killed and two bodyguards wounded by a roadside bomb in a Baghdad street. At the same time in another part of the capital, a US military convoy was bombed, killing two passers-by and wounding a third.

10,39 Mosul. COALITION SOLDIER KILLED IN MOSUL. A Coalition soldier was killed outside Mosul in a roadside bombing.

09,52 Washington. SANCHEZ RELIEVED OF COMMAND BY CASEY. General Ricardo Sanchez was relieved of his command by General George Casey, former commander of US troops in Germany.

08,51 Baghdad. ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. Ihsane Karim Ghanem, a Finance Ministry official, was gravely wounded by a roadside bomb which struck his convoy in the Al-Yarmuk quarter of tBaghdad. His driver and a bodyguard were killed.

08,15 Basrah. US SOLDIER DIES IN ROAD ACCIDENT. An American soldier was killed and four others injured in a road accident near the Kuwaiti border.

07.15 Fallujah. AIR STRIKE ON FALLUJA, ZARQAWI A NO-SHOW. BOUNTY RAISED FOR AL QAEDA LEADER. Al-Zarqawi missed yet another appointment with the Americans as rescue workers shifted through the ruins of a home looking for survivors. The bounty for Abu Musab al Zarqawi was raised from $10 to $25 million.

07,01 Fallujah. AIR STRIKE ON CITY, 7 DEAD. The toll after a US airstrike was 7 dead and 17 wounded. Meanwhile in the eastern part of the city, US troops and guerrillas clashed using small arms.