European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and stripes monday March 26 2007 at least 47 killed in series of Iraq bombings by Kim Gamel the associated press suicide bomber driving a truck with explosives hidden under a Load of bricks destroyed a police station saturday in South largest in a series of bombings that killed at least 47 people As insurgents stepped up High profile attacks in an apparent bid to derail the american led Security crack Down in the capital in All at least 68 people were killed or found dead in Iraq on sat urday making it the ninth deadliest Day since us and iraqi forces launched the Security operation on feb 14 according to an associated press tally that included at least 25 Bullet riddled bodies 11 found in Baghdad six pulled from the Tigris River South of the capital and eight in the Anbar City offa Lujah the suicide attacker bypassed tight Security to get within 25 Yards of the station by blending in with other trucks coming and going As part of a construction project we did not suspect the suicide truck and he easily reached the main Gate where he detonated his truck suddenly there was a big explosion and part of the building collapsed said police Cpl Hus Sam Ali who witnessed the blast from a nearby guard Post we were very cautious but this time we were taken by Surprise the insurgents Are inventing new meth ods to Hurt us the thunderous explosion caused part of the two Story Sta Tion to collapse and sent a plume of Black smoke Drifting across the Baghdad Skyline us and iraqi forces set up checkpoints at the scene and Mahmoud us troops on saturday Are seen through the Windshield of a patrol car securing a Square in Baghdad Central District of Sarradah us and iraqi forces conducted House searches in the area saturday helped carry the wounded to hospitals while military helicopters rumbled overhead Twenty peo ple were killed half of them policemen and 28 were wounded authorities said Northwest of the capital a Man wearing an explosives Belt blew himself up outside a pastry shop in a Central Market area in Tal afar killing at least 10 people and wounding three just Over a year after president Bush declared that City was an example of Progress made in bringing Security to Iraq a parked truck also exploded near a shiite mosque in Hasa 30 Miles South of Baghdad killing at least 11 people and wounding 45 police said two suicide car bombers also struck a police station in Qaim near the syrian Border and about 200 Miles West of Baghdad at least six people five policemen and a woman were killed and 19 wounded in that attack the bombings were not As numerous and the casualties not As High As the death tolls that were often in the dozens before the us and iraqi governments sent thousands More troops to the Baghdad area As part of a Security sweep to try to Stop a surge in retaliatory attacks Between Sun Nis and shiites but they came on the heels of a suicide bombing on Friday that seriously wounded Iraq High est ranking sunni politician and killed nine other people a Day earlier a rocket strike hit that landed near a news conference being held by the in Secre tar general in Baghdad signal ing that the sunni insurgents who usually stage such attacks Are picking their targets carefully and finding new ways to get around the stepped up Security measures on March 14 a us military spokesman maj Gen William c Caldwell urged patience and cautioned that High profile car bombings which Rose to a High of 77 in february remain a serious concern and could Start the whole Cycle of violence again Salam Al Rubaie one of two deputies to prime minister Nouri Almalik was moved out of the in Tensive care unit saturday morn ing and was in Good condition sunni lawmaker Dhafer Alani said adding that the sunni had received visitors at the us run hos Pital in the heavily guarded Green zone general helicopter Supply insufficient the associated press Washington the army has lost 130 helicopters in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan about a third to shoot Downs its aviation director said Friday he complained that Industry is not replacing them fast enough while the military maybe on a War footing our nations Indus try is not on a War footing said Brig Gen Stephen Mundt he said it takes 24 months to get replacement aircraft built and delivered and that replace ments for the Early losses Are just now arriving the us is not at War the military is at he told a group of Pentagon reporters also complaining about the Tim ing of How Money flows from the government to pay for the purchases Industry you have got to get to the Point of where youre pro during fester ii the us is not at War the military is at War f f Brig Gen Stephen Mundt us army aviation director Mundt did not have a further breakdown of the losses of air Craft except to say that in Addi Tion to shoot Downs helicopters fall prey to dirt dust and the rough terrain and conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan the number of helicopter downings has dropped dramatically since a spate in Iraq in Jan uary and february Mundt said there were at least eight Inci dents Over a few weeks in which us military and civilian Heli copters were either shot Down or landed under fire in Iraq Baghdad raids net insurgents weapons caches and lots of booze by Joseph Giordono stars and stripes ongoing Clearing operations by us and iraqi troops in the Mansour District of Baghdad have led to three arrests and the seizure of a particularly distinct Cache thousands of bottles of booze according to the us military troops uncovered a contraband Cache that included 100 cases of Smirnoff Vodka 50 cases of Johnny Walker Bourbon three hand grenades and several pass ports in six other seized caches troops found 50 Gallons of nitric acid six bags of homemade explosives one suicide bomber Vest several guns body Armor and bomb making materials Over the last three Days of Clearing operations in iraqi Security forces and coalition soldiers detained 34 suspected terrorists and found 15 weapons and explosives caches a us Mil itary news release read the operation called Arrow head strike 9 includes some 500 iraqi police and soldiers along with 1100 us troops from the 2nd brigade 1st infantry Divi Sion and 3rd Stryker brigade combat team 2nd infantry Divi Sion it is part of the larger Bagh dad Security plan in which us and iraqi troops take up Perma nent residence at bases inside the City then Clear neighbourhoods from within the us military announced saturday the creation of another such neighbourhood base in the Baghdad District of Furat soldiers from company b 1st battalion 28th infantry regi ment 1st infantry division have built and moved into a base now known As combat outpost Battle these combat outposts Are important because it gets us out with the people where we can get to know them More capt Brian Ducote the company commander was quoted As saying its easier to patrol you can re Spond quicker to incidences the troops have already put up some 350 Alaska barriers tall movable Concrete barriers to help beef up Security at the base for the time being troops Are living in tents with a makeshift motor Pool housing their vehicles the news release read it will be austere at first but every Day were taking Steps to improve it it will really be just like a operating base out Here said 1st it Scott Hutchison were Here until the Job gets done email Joseph Giordono at