European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday Aprim 2007 stars and stripes paces a Sadr denounces Calls for protest by Bushra Juki the associated press Baghdad the Radical cleric Muntada a Sadr issued a scathing attack on the United states on Friday following one of the coun try bloodiest Days blaming Washington for Iraq troubles and calling for a mass demonstration april 9 the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad As Alsa drs remarks were read in a mosque shiites in Baghdad loaded wooden coffins into vans and shovelled broken Glass and other debris into wheelbarrows in the aftermath of a double suicide bombing at a marketplace at least 181 people were killed or found dead thursday As sunni insurgents apparently stepped up their Campaign of bombings to de rail the seven Eskold Security sweep in Baghdad the military said Friday a Soldier was killed and another was wounded thursday during a patrol in Southern Baghdad Rais ing to at least the number of service members who have died since the War began in 2003 according to an a count Adil iraqis chant slogans after a prayer in the shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad on Friday Radical shiite cleric Muntada a Sadr made a scathing attack on the in a statement issued Friday violence has increasingly erupted outside the capital in re cent weeks As insurgent fighters take their fight to regions where and iraqi forces Are thinly deployed there is a race Between the government and the terrorists who Are trying to make people reach the level of said Sami alas Kari an aide to prime minister Nouri Almalik but the government is doing its Best to defeat terrorists arid it definitely will not be affected by these general chlorine attacks first since Saddam Rule by Jeff Schogol stars and stripes Arlington a recent in surgent attacks in Iraq using chlo Rine Are the first Poison Gas at tacks in the country since Saddam Hussein was in Power maj Gen Michael Barbero told reporters Friday since Jan 28 insurgents have launched eight chlo Rine attacks in Iraq most recently two truck bombs carrying chlorine exploded on March 28 out Side the fal Lujah govern ment Center injuring 17 troops and 57 iraqis officials said a military spokesman with multinational Force West said Friday that 14 of the troops had returned to duty three others were hospitalized but Are stable and expected to re turn to duty soon chlorine is widely used in both water and sewage treatment in Iraq i strongly believe this use of chlorine should not be dismissed merely As a new tactic or an emerging Barbero said thursday chlorine is a Poison Gas it is a Poison Gas being used on the iraqi Barbero blamed the chlorine at tacks on Al Aida in Iraq and other sunni extremists he said the attacks come As retaliation against fellow sunnis in Anbar province to the growing backlash against Al Aida in Iraq the use of Poison Gas on inno cent iraqi civilians discredits All of the sunni extremist propaganda of being an honorable resistance focused on driving out the info he said speaking to reporters earlier Friday Marine maj Gen Walter Gaskin downplayed the physical damage that the chemical bombs have produced so far the chlo what you have to understand is that the chlorine bombs have More of a psychological effect than a killing effect f f Marine maj Gen Walter Gaskin commander ii Marine expeditionary Force Forward Rine attacks in Anbar have been mainly aimed at the or iraqi police rather than coalition forces said corp Oriander the ii Marine expeditionary Force for what you have to understand is that the chlorine bombs have More of a psychological effect than they do a killing of Gaskin said asked about Gaskins com ments Barbero said Hes talking about the effects in talking about this As a fridays news conference came one Day after Brig Gen Michael Walsh commander of the army corps of engineers Gulf Region division said he knew of no additional Steps being taken to secure chlorine supplies i didst hear what he said and in not sure that is his responsibility to secure that that would be the responsibility of the tactical Barbero said when asked about Walsh comments the military and its Diplo Mats have voiced cautious optimism about the sweep that began feb 14 and emphasized that the full american surge Force would not be in place until june but sectarian tensions also were heightened last week by a devastating bombing followed by a shooting rampage by shiite Mili Tiamen and police seeking re Venge in Tal afar Alsa drs statement was his first March 14 when he urged his supporters to resist forces in Iraq through peaceful Means a Sadr has been said by and iraqi officials to be in neighbouring Iran but his aides in Sist he is still in Iraq the latest statement was read to worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Dufaj a shiite holy City South of Baghdad where a Sadr frequently led the ritual i renew my Call for the occupier the United states to leave our he said in the statement a copy of which was obtained by the associated press the de parture of the occupier will mean stability for Iraq Victory for islam and peace and defeat for terrorism and a Sadr whose Mahdi army militiamen fought troops in 2004 but have generally cooperated with an ongoing Security push in Baghdad blamed the presence of forces in Iraq for the rising violence Lack of services and sectarian blood shed you oppressed people of Iraq let the entire world hear your voice that you reject occupation destruction and he said in calling for the april 9 demonstration v Fly iraqi flags atop Homes apartment buildings and govern ment departments to show the sovereignty and Independence of Iraq and that you reject the pres ence of american flags and those of other nations occupying our be loved Iraq keep them there until they leave our he said also on Friday coalition forces detained a suspect who the military said was linked to net works bringing sophisticated Roadside bombs into Iraq stars and stripes reporter Lisa Burgess contributed to this report email Jeff Schogol at Jim Amanda Hart second from right blows a kiss to pc Abraham Rhode left on television screen after they were married via video connection wednesday Between the National guard armory in Inver Grove Heights and Tallis Iraq where Rhode is serving Hart who is pregnant is shown with her father Barry Grice Andi Friend Stacie Center is chaplain it Joel Severson guardsman and Girlfriend tie knot Miles apart the associated press Inver Grove Heights Minn when it came time for a Minnesota National guardsman to kiss the Bride she was about Miles away but that didst matter wednesday As pc Abra Ham Rhode and Amanda Hart used video teleconferencing to be joined As husband and wife when we said our vows that when we became Hart said after the Short ceremony it was pretty exciting Hart said Rhode was supposed to come Home from Iraq this month and help her plan their August wedding but when his deployment was extended and they Learned there was a baby on the Way they decided to Exchange vows Over a video connection with our unit being extended Over there a lot of people just decided they didst want to be single any longer regardless of How they have to do said Phil Stephan the video operations manager for the Minnesota National guard Rhode 25 is in Tail Iraq with the 2nd combined arms battalion 136th infantry after the nuptials he said he was Happy but he wait to see his Bride in person honestly i will be overjoyed to see he said you miss out on a whole Bunch of Little things in missing out on the but in Happy to be Here and be serving my Hart called Rhode her Knight in shining she said his Calm Demeanour balances her outgoing personality i know that we will she said after Rhode and Hart said their vows the Chap lain said you May now blow yourselves a Long Dis Tance they did arid Hart turned around and smiled sweetly As she was introduced for the first time As mrs Abraham Rhode hopefully just a few More months and Hope fully Well have a real she said
