www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iraq.html
Article Tools Sponsored By By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: October 27, 2006 Filed at 10:57 pm ET BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- After a tense week in US-Iraqi relations, the prime minister and the US ambassador issued a rare joint statement Friday in which Iraq reaffirmed its commitment to a ''good and strong'' relationship with the United States. The US military, meanwhile, said a US soldier died following combat in Diyala province northeast of the capital, raising to 97 the number of American forces killed in Iraq during October, now the fourth-deadliest month since the war began. The soldier, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, was wounded in combat Thursday ''and later died of wounds,'' the military said. At least 2,810 members of the US military have died since the war began in 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had issued several public statements this week declaring that the United States had no right to impose ''timetables'' on his government. That contradicted Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad's assertion that the al-Maliki government had already agreed to set timelines for curbing violence and solving other problems. The statement was issued after the two men met ''to discuss our ongoing efforts to bring peace and security to Iraq and create a better future for all Iraqis,'' the highly unusual joint statement said. The US-Iraqi relationship has come under considerable strain recently as Washington stepped up pressure on al-Maliki to move against Shiite militias and death squads that are believed to be conducting a wave of sectarian killings that has moved the nation toward civil war. Al-Maliki has repeatedly said he would disband ''illegal armed groups'' but so far has taken little action. The quiet in Baghdad followed a day of bloody house-to-house fighting outside a chaotic city to the north in which 43 people were killed. The US military said the fighting between Sunni insurgents and Iraqi police near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, killed one civilian and 24 police Thursday. US troops later joined the fight, aiding in a counterattack in which 18 insurgents died, the military said. Police fought back and US troops nearby were diverted from another mission, assisted by air cover. Eight insurgents also were wounded and 27 others captured, the military said. With rising American casualties adding to growing anti-war sentiment in the United States, US leaders are eager to show that the Iraqi forces are rising to the challenge by controlling territory and inflicting casualties on militants. Violence, especially sectarian attacks, spiked over Ramadan. The holy month, during which Muslims abstain from food, liquids, cigarettes and sex from dawn to dusk, ended on Sunday for Sunnis and Monday for Shiites. Attacks typically rise during Ramadan, in part because some Muslims believe dying during the holiday bestows additional blessings in the afterlife. The end of the month is followed by Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday of feasting and visiting among relatives and friends. Since Ramadan's end, killings in parts of Baghdad where security forces have established a firm presence have fallen by 10 percent to 20 percent, US military spokesman Maj Gen. He speculated that was due to the holiday festivities, as well as massive deployment of US troops in the capital to search for a missing Army linguist of Iraqi descent who was abducted while visiting relatives on Monday. It wasn't clear whether the lull would add momentum to a two-month-old security drive in Baghdad that has yet to show obvious results. Elsewhere in Iraq, fighting has continued in recent days between security forces and insurgents, as well as between rival Shiite militias. In another apparent sectarian attack, four people were killed and five wounded near Baqouba when gunmen fired on a van carrying Shiites home from the funeral of a relative in the holy city of Najaf, police said. Fearing similar bloodshed, authorities extended a vehicle ban in the northern city of Mosul through Friday afternoon, following threats from Sunni gunmen. Fears were sparked after the men distributed leaflets at mosques on Thursday proclaiming the mixed Sunni-Kurdish city a part of an Islamic state declared earlier this month by an insurgent umbrella group, the Mujahedeen Shura Council. While the insurgents' declaration has been viewed primarily as a propaganda move, fighters aligned with the Shura Council, which includes al-Qaida in Iraq, are suspected of involvement in recent deadly attacks in Mosul. The city, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, is a battleground between Sunni Arabs who were moved there by the former regime and members of the Kurdish minority native to the region.
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