Death Toll up to 32 in Italy Base Attack

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716

<snip>NASIRIYAH, Iraq - U.S. troops destroyed an empty dye factory in Baghdad and chased attackers who were seen firing mortars, while the death toll from the suicide bombing at an Italian paramilitary base rose to 32. It was the deadliest attack against a U.S. ally since the occupation began.

Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino blamed the attack on Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) loyalists and al-Qaida terrorists.

The suicide bombing in this relatively quiet Shiite Muslim city prompted Portugal to send 128 elite police officers originally slated for Nasiriyah to Basra instead. A Japanese government spokesman indicated Tokyo will likely postpone sending troops to Iraq (news - web sites) until sometime next year.

Nevertheless, British Maj. Gen. Graeme Lamb, commander of the multinational division southeast, insisted Thursday that the coalition "won't be deterred" by the attack.

Lamb said details of the attack remained unclear because "all the people who were eyewitnesses, who were close to the event, are now dead," but he said, "this has all the hallmarks of a determined suicide attack."

[TolstoyAndy]

1. Was it this bad before?

Did Iraq have truck bombs before we invaded?

Of course, I'm not referring to the truck-size bombs
that we dropped on them.

But did Saddam set off truck bombs that killed innocents?

Just kicking...

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. It's "Jolly Good" that Blair is going to send some replacements!

Pip Pip Tally Ho! off to Iraq you go!