30 April 2004 Events in Iraq

15.05 Rome. "MOTION TO WITHDRAW ITALIAN TROOPS FROM IRAQ TO BE PRESENTED WEDNESDAY". Italian opposition unites to present motion Wednesday at 3:00 pm in Italian parliament.

13.50 Fallujah. CROWDS CELEBRATE AS SADDAM'S EX-GENERAL ENTERS CITY. Jasim Mohamed Saleh was welcomed with cheers and celebration by more than a thousand people as the old Iraqi flag was unfurled.

13.30 Baquba. IGC COUNCIL MEMBER MORTALLY WOUNDED. Armed men shot Najah Hamdoush, leader of Iraq's Communist Party and member of the ICG.

12.35 London. BLAIR APPALLED BY PICTURES of humiliation and torture at Abu Ghraib prison.

10.34 Nassiriya. THREE BOMBS HIT ITALIAN INSTALLATION, no injuries.

09.30 Najaf. STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AS HUMAN SHIELDS. Three hundred students from Amara arrive in Najaf to support Al Sadr.

08.39 Baghdad. AL QAEDA DENIES that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi planned a large-scale chemical attack in Jordan.

29 April 2004 Events in Iraq

18:53 Washington. NEGROPONTE RECEIVES SENATE CONFIRMATION AS AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ.

18:07 Baghdad. AL KUBAYSI: "ITALIAN HOSTAGES TO BE RELEASED TO PEACE DELEGATION". Iraqi Patriotic Alliance party leader al Kubaysi announced that Italian hostages are to be released to a delegation of anti-imperialists and pacifists from Rome and not to the military or to embassy staff

17.26 Fallujah. WITNESSES SAY BOMBS FALL ON FALLUJAh shortly after agreement to pull back.

17.20 Fallujah. US WARPLANES RETURN TO BOMB FALLUJA. [What is this? A farewell bombing?]

17.16 Rome. ITALY AGREES WITH FRANCE ON TRANSFER OF POWERS. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini meets with Michel Barnier and agrees that Iraq must effectively have sovereignty [Note to Washington: You "lost" Italy.]

16.00 Paris. CHIRAC: "NO ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS ON THE HORIZON" that Iraq may actually get "real" sovereignty. France will approve Brahimi's proposals but is very skeptical that the US will adhere. [Chirac to Bush: Get real!]

14.50 Johannesburg. SOUTH AFRICA CONFIRMS: "ONE OF OUR NATIONALS KILLED IN BASRAH".

14.00 Washington. PENTAGON, 10 US SOLDIERS KILLED. 8 by carbomb, 1 by grenade and 1 by roadside bomb.

13.50 Fallujah. MARINES TO WITHDRAW TOMORROW.

13.30 Los Angeles. BOMBING THREATS AGAINST SHOPPING CENTERS.

12.55 Mahmoudiya. 8 US SOLDIERS KILLED in carbombing in Mahmoudiya, south of Bagdad.

12.55 Paris. CHIRAC: "THERE WILL BE NO UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION" on transfer of authority to Iraqis.

12.50 Baghdad. 1 US SOLDIER KILLED NORTH OF BAGHDAD.

12.30 Rome. ITALIANS DEMONSTRATE FOR RELEASE OF HOSTAGES. Labor union and peace activists demonstrate along with familty members near Vatican.

11.30 Baghdad. 1 US SOLDIER KILLED IN GRENADE ATTACK IN BAGHDAD.

11.25 Karbala. POLISH BASE IN KARBALA ATTACKED with anti-tank rocket.

11.10 Fallujah. AMERICANS SHOOT AT BUS and kill four civilians.

10.00 Najaf. US CHECKPOINT ATTACKED IN NAJAF. Anti-tank missiles aimed at US checkpoint.

09.00 Basrah. SOUTH AFRICAN KILLED IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTING IN BASRAH

08.45 Baquba. Iraqi civilian killed, imprecise number of US troops wounded in bomb blast.

07.30 Nassiriya. CPA HEADQUARTERS ATTACKED.

07.00 Washington. NEW US DEPLOYMENTS. Tanks to arrive from Germany, reinforcements requested by the 1st Expeditionary Force (Marines) in Fallujah and the 1st Infantry Division (Army) in Tikrit.

28 April 2004 Events in Iraq

18.45 Fallujah. KUBAYSI: "MORE THAN 600 NEW DEAD IN FALLUJA". More than 600 cadavers have been found in Fallujah, mostly women who have been shot with a single bullet. This is terrible...the Americans were still bombing 3 hours ago. There are 638 dead since last night. A lot of women died due in a single bombardment...someone is taking enjoyment in deliberate killing; these are not accidents. [Somehow, I think it's not the Arabs--Nur]

18.10 Mosul. 5 IRAQI POLICE KILLED.

18.00 Washington. BUSH: "IN FALLUJA WE WILL DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO"...to make the city secure [what would Tamurlane do?].

17.55 New York. KOFI ANNAN: "WE ALL WANT THE OCCUPATION TO END to give the political process a chance".

17.50 Rome. ROMANO PRODI: "BE AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ; we must all put on the pressure on to ensure that the UN is granted the roll it should assume" [GWB: Hint...step aside].

16.55 Baghdad. 2 COALITION SOLIDERS KILLED BY GRENADE BLAST.

16.30 Washington. USA: "WE ARE STILL SEEKING A PEACEFUL SOLUTION FOR FALLUJAH". [Really?]

16:00 Fallujah. ITALIAN HOSTAGES, KUBAYSI: "WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK".

15:50 Fallujah. KUBAYSI: "VERY GRAVE SITUATION". The USA launched a massive attack on 2 neighborhoods in my hometown with aircraft, helicopter and heavy artillery. The first started a 21:30 and lasted for one hour. At 22:30 bombs began to all on another neighborhood which was hammered until past midnight. The number of victims is unknown; US forces won't let anyone into the city. What is known is that the situation is very grave.

15:30 London. BLAIR: "AERIAL ASSAULT ON FALLUJAH NECESSARY". "It's perfectly just and appropriate to intervene in this way". [Just, huh?]

15:17 Fallujah. RESIDENTS OF THE CITY: "WE ARE BEING BOMBED". US aircraft begin new raids on the city.

14:15 Rome. UNITED CENTER-LEFT IN ITALY: "We will vote on a withdrawal of Italian troops in May.

13.55 Fallujah. ITALIAN HOSTAGES ALIVE AND IN GOOD CONDITION.

13,30 Rome. MUSLIMS IN ITALY TO POPE: YOUR BLESSING FOR TOMORROW'S DEMONSTRATION". [National demonstration in Italy tomorrow to release Italian hostages].

12.32 Mosul. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE NEW FLAG. More than 1,000 demonstrators gather in the streets in front of giant reproduction of the new flag shouting "Our nation's flag is not for sale" and "Sunni and Shi'a, United in Islam"

12.24 Al-Kut. 1 UKRAINIAN SOLDIER KILLED, 2 WOUNDED

12.23 Rome. POPE: NO COMMENT ON TOMORROW'S NATIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS.

12.19 Rome. BERLUSCONI, IF ITALY LEAVES IRAQ, IT WIL BE CIVIL WAR.

12.15 Rome. BERLUSCONI, WE'RE STAYING, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST [We'll take another look at this next month]

12.14 Rome. IRAQ: BERLUSCONI, ITALY IS GRATEFUL TO THE USA, BUT WERE NOT BUSH'S VASSALS. [Crrrack].

11:30 Najaf. US ROADBLOCK ON BRIDGE CONNECTING KUFA AND NAJAF: All traffic in and out of NAJAF inspected.

10.45 Madrid. SPANISH TROOPS ARRIVE HOME at the Talavera del Real airbase in western Spain.

27 April 2004 Events in Iraq

16.33 Madrid. ZAPATERO, COMPLETE SPANISH WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ BY 27 MAY.

16.12 Camp Cropper. RED CROSS DELEGATION VISITS SADDAM.

16.09 Al-Kut. US HELICOPTER EXPLODES IN AL-KUT AFTER EMERGENCY LANDING.

16.07 Baghdad. US SOLDIER KILLED IN SADR CITY.

16.06 Rome. BERLUSCONI, ITALIAN MISSION IS A PEACEKEEPING EFFORT ONLY.

15.57 London. BLAIR, NO ADDITIONAL TROOPS TO BE SENT TO IRAQ

15.43 Fallujah. JOINT US-IRAQI PATROLS CANCELLED.

12:58 Najaf. NIGHTTIME BATTLE IN NAJAF: 40 Al-Sadr supporters killed.

11:35 Baghdad. US SOLIDER MORTALLY WOUNDED IN EAST BAGHDAD WHILE PATROLLING BUS STATION.

11:15 Fallujah. HUNDREDS OF IRAQI POLICE PATROL CITY.

11:00 Madrid. SPANISH GEN. Josè Manuel Munoz : WITHDRAWAL FROM NAJAF COMPLETED.

08.42 Fallujah. US ARTILLERY OPENS FIRE.

07.57 Najaf. CLASHES IN NAJAF, 43 DEAD.

07.12 Canberra. AUSTRALIAN PREMIER JOHN HOWARD "I do not want to see Australia involved in a prolonged occupation of Iraq"

26 April 2004 Events in Iraq.

16.12 Dubai. HOSTAGES. Al Arabya TV shows video of three Italian hostages in the hands of kidnappers claiming to be the "Green Brigades" . The kidnappers insist they will kill the hostages of the Italian people don't condemn the Italian military presence in Iraq. [Guess they haven't been watching the news...the Italian people are very opposed.]

16.00 Fallujah. ITALIAN RED CROSS enters Fallujah bringing in food supplies, water and medicine.

15.50 Fallujah. US SOLDIER killed during gunbattle with guerrillas.

15.45 Diwaniya. ATTACK ON SPANISH PATROL, 5 IRAQIS KILLED near Diwaniya, two other Iraqis taken prisoner.

15.30 Warsaw. POLAND, THE USA IS NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR NAJAF AND KADISSIYA.

15.10 Fallujah. 10 MARINES WOUNDED IN GUNBATTLE WITH GUERRILLAS.

14.00 Baghdad. ARAB MERCENARIES. Muaffak al Rubai, Iraq Security Minister, says he's interviewed Turks, Moroccans and Syrians in Abu Gharib prison who claim they were hired to fight the foreigners in Iraq.

13.10 Warsaw. POLAND REDUCES CONTINGENT BY 4,000

12.55 Baghdad. TROOPS IN IRAQ. Australia and Great Britain to supply troops to replace those withdrawn by other Coalition partners. Tbilisi will send another 350 troops to Tikrit.

12.45 Baghdad. CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE EXPLODES, 2 Americans killed.

12.15 Najaf. US TROOPS ENTER CITY.

11.40 Baghdad. NEGOCIATIONS BEGIN WITH EX BA'ATHIST LEADERS HELD IN PRISON. 2500 ex-Ba'athist to be released.

10.43 Tokyo. JAPANESE HOSTAGES TO PAY FEES AND PENALTIES. "It's their fault that they were kidnapped", says Japanese Government. The three will pay fees and penalities for violating a government warning to avoid Fallujah. [I wish we'd do this to the US missionaries].

09.50 Fallujah. GUNBATTLE IN CITY. Heavy machinegun fire heard.

09.45 Baghdad. IRAQ GETS NEW FLAG. Crescent moon on baby blue field, with one yellow stripe and 2 blue lines.

09.20 Basrah. OIL TERMINAL BACK IN SERVICE. Oil Minister Mohammad Bahr al-Uloum announces loading activities are back to normal.

09.05 Basrah. BRITISH SOLDIER WOUNDED as bomb explodes near his convoy.

24 April 2004 Events in Iraq

Ransom. 3 Italian hostages still not released. Earlier in the week it was rumored that Berlusconi had paid a ransom.

Baghdad. Mortar hits crowded market in Sadr City. 14 dead, 36 wounded.

Fallujah. House in city hit by 3 artillery shells. One child killed, 2 others wounded.

Haswah. Bomb misses US convoy in Haswa, hits bus and kills 14, wounds 12.

Al-Kut. 2 US soldiers killed by roadside bomb in Kut.

Karbala. Poles kill 5 Sadr militiamen.

Baghdad. US troops open fire on car in Sadr city and set it on fire, killing a father and mortally wounding his 3 daughters.

Tikrit. Carbomb in Tikrit killing 4 Iraqi policemen.

Fallujah. Marine dies from wounds received in Fallujah.

3 April 2004 Events in Iraq

Baghdad. 2 supporters of Muqtada Al-Sadr were crushed beneath US tanks today in Baghdad as they protested near Tahir Square in downtown Baghdad. Around 6:00 pm this evening, 200 protesters marched toward the al-Jumhuriya bridge, defended (protecting CPA headquarters on the other side?)by US tanks. The tanks moved forward towards the protesters and continued to take up position in Tahir Square. Members of the excited crowd threw themselves in front of the tanks and were crushed.

So now we are using tanks for crowd control, Tiananmen style? Reports are the protesters were unarmed.