European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 16 2007 stars an d stripes pages five dead 38 Hurt in Afghanistan blast suicide bomber strikes near column of police cars by Rahim Fate the associated press Kabul Afghanistan a Sui cide bomber struck near a police Convoy in Eastern Afghanistan on wednesday killing five people and wounding 38 in the latest in a growing wave of Ira style at tacks the attacker described As a Young Man wearing a Muslim prayer Cap detonated his explosives As the last in a column of police vehicles passed in front of a Bank in Khost a City near the pakistani Border officials and wit Nesses said four civilians and a policeman were killed according to Gul Mohammadie Mohammadi the provincial health chief nine of the 38 wounded were policemen he said twelve of the injured were in critical condition suicide attacks have become a key weapon for Taliban insurgents who made 2006 the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since us forces drove the Hartline regime from Power in late 2001 the tac tic has put nato and us troops on Edge resulting in a string of deadly shootings of civilians in the latest incident nato said its forces in Kandahar fired at a truck that came too close to Convoy wednesday killing the Driver afghan and Western officials have pleaded with for eign forces to use caution to pre vent civilian casualties nato and used coalition forces have shot at least 10 people who have driven close to their convoys since january according to an As Musa Deq Sadet Yap a survivor Calls Bis family after losing a brother following a blast at a Gunpowder store in Kabul Afghanistan on wednesday at least six people were killed later wednesday a suicide bomber targeted a policy Convoy in Khost killing five people Socia Ted press tally also wednesday suspected Tal iban fighters attacked a police checkpoint near Kalat in the Southern province of Zabul the ensuing gun Battle left a policeman wounded said Zabul Highway police commander thu us Baghdad violence eases by Kim Gamel the associated press Baghdad key us and iraqi officials on wednesday is sued cautiously optimistic re ports one month into the latest drive to curb sectarian bloodshed in Baghdad but warned that months would pass before the operation could be labelled a Suc Cess maj Gen William b Caldwell the us military spokesman also said the level of sectarian killings had dropped significantly in the month since the operation began by the indicators that the government of Iraq has it has been extremely positive but i would caution everybody about patience about Diligence this is going to take Many months not weeks but the indicators Are All very positive right now Cald Well said Brig Gen Qassim Sawi spokesman of the Baghdad Security operation said the num Ber of civilians killed had plunged to 265 since the operation started on feb 14 compared with 1440 during the preceding monthlong period due to a Sharp reduction in murders kidnappings and bomb Ings he also said 94 terror suspects have been killed while 713 terrorists and 1152 other suspects have been arrested since feb 14 while 24 Kidnap victims have been released and More than 2000 displaced families returned to their Homes he summed up the iraqi Security forces losses As 11 police offic ers and 48 soldiers killed and 24 vehicles damaged the assessments offered in separate news conferences in the heavily guarded Green zone were the latest in a series of High profile efforts by the us and iraqi governments to Shore up Public support for the third crackdown on sectarian violence in the capital in less than a year the positive report card on operations to pacify Baghdad coincided with the countdown to the fourth anniversary of the March 20 Start of the used invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein one possible reason for the Low ered violence in the capital could be the continued absence of Radi get a payday loan of up to come to our office on 2281 Chuo Okinawa City Orinza 2f visitwwwv1financecom  or Call 9210907 William Caldwell Cal shiite cleric Muntada a Sadr who remained in Iran As of 24 hours ago Caldwell said the ant american chief of the Mahdi army militia was reported to have taken Refuge in the neighbor ing shiite theocracy before these purity operation Alsa drs militia was seen As responsible for much of the sectarian bloodshed especially the executions and murders of As Many As 50 people a Day before the Secu Rity operation began there was great concern the operation would Force an fallout showdown with Alsa drs forces in their Sadr City stronghold in Eastern Baghdad but that has not materialized while Caldwell assessment was largely positive he expressed concern about a Spike last week in the number of what he called High profile car bomb Ings if the High profile car bombs can be stopped or brought Down to a much lower level Well just see an incredible difference in the City Overall he said his remarks came hours after suicide bombers struck a Market in Northern Iraq and an iraqi Mili tary checkpoint in Baghdad kill ing at least 10 people Lam jail Ali two militants were arrested in a similar incident Kandahar provincial police chief Esmatullah Alizai said two police were killed and one wounded in a gun Battle that followed a Taliban at tack on a checkpoint tuesday night on the spin boldak Kanda har Highway aside from the risk of getting caught up in the insurgency afghans Are endangered by a country awash with weapons and explosives in Kabul residents were Awak ened Early wednesday by an explosion at a Gunpowder store that destroyed dozens of shops and houses at least six people were killed and nine were injured officials said Deputy City police chief Zulmay Khan said the gun powder that exploded was intended for Hunting rifles it was unclear what ignited it in May 2005 explosives and am munition stored under a warlords House in Northern Afghanistan blew up destroying half the Vil Lage and killing at least 25 people us forces gain on sunni turf by Tina Susman los Angeles times ramada Iraq the com Mander of us troops in Iraq wanted some sweets and nothing was going to Stop him not even tramping through a neighbor Hood that Only Days ago had been teeming with snipers and Al Aida fighters who would love nothing better than to say they just shot Gen David h Petraeus with soldiers casting anxious glances along the desolate dirt Road the fourstar general made a beeline for a tiny shop and helped himself to a bit sized Honey coated pastry proffered by the owner oblivious to the flies buzzing around his head Petraeus Chat Ted briefly with a Man who said his cafe had been damaged in re cent Battles Between us forces and insurgents then after promising compensation for the cafe owner Petrae us hiked on Tell him the next time i come Back to ramada Well eat his Chow Petraeus said As he headed into the blazing Sun Days ago this might not have been possible but in a Brazen Effort to show off what they say has been a shift of allegiance in sunni insurgent territory us and iraqi officials on tuesday brought an Allstar cast of military and Politi Cal figures to ramada while Petraeus did his walk about prime minister Nouri Almalik visited with regional sheiks his first Stop Here since be coming prime minister nine months ago and part of a Campaign to ensure loyalty from pow Erful sunnis who once harboured insurgents the Campaign gained Momen Tum last fall when a group of sheiks from across Anbar prov Ince whose capital is ramada met with Almalik in Baghdad Iraq president returns Home after illness Sulay Aniayah Iraq president Jalal Talaban re turned to his kurdish Hometown wednesday from a jordanian hos Pital 17 Days after collapsing in North Ern Iraq Talaban 73 flew directly to us Lay Aniyah where thou Sands of kurd some in traditional dress welcomed him Home you heroic people of Kurdis Tan i Greet you warmly and i thank you for your kind feelings Talaban told supporters news of Balabanis arrival brought thousands of people to Talaban the streets motorists honked Homs played loud music and plastered their cars with portraits of the president Saddam Kin exhumed reburied near his grave Baghdad the bodies of Saddam Hussein sons and a grandson have been exhumed and reburied near the ousted Lead ers grave in his Hometown North of Baghdad tribal officials said wednesday Saddam sons Odai 39 and Qusai 37 and his 14yearold grandson Mustafa died july 22 2003 in a gun Battle with us troops in the Northern City of Mosul they had been buried in the main tribal cemetery in Cikrit 80 Miles North of the capital we wanted to put the bodies of Saddam family in one place said Thaer Ismael of Saddam tribe from the associated press