Clashes in Kufa despite truce called between US and militiamen

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20040528/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

U.S. Troops Escorting Prisoners Attacked

23 minutes ago

By MARIAM FAM, Associated Press Writer

NAJAF, Iraq - Gunmen opened fire on a U.S. Army vehicle Friday in Najaf's twin city, wounding two American soldiers and raising fears over the agreement struck the day before to end the bloody standoff around this Shiite holy city. Mortars fell on the main U.S. garrison but caused no injuries.


Armed members of Muqtada al-Sadr's militia — some of them masked and brandishing rocket-propelled grenade launchers and Kalashnikov rifles — roamed the streets of Kufa on Friday. Most of the shops were closed and the streets were largely deserted. Three people were killed and eight injured in armed clashes, hospital workers said. <snip>

Despite the agreement, nine mortar shells hit the main U.S. camp in the Najaf area on Friday morning, according to CNN, which has a correspondent embedded there. U.S. soldiers detained four suspected militia members who said they were unaware of the truce, CNN said.

The U.S. command in Baghdad said gunmen fired on a U.S. Humvee on a street in Kufa, which adjoins Najaf. The command confirmed two Americans were wounded but provided no further details. <snip>


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1504&ncid=1504&e=1&u=/afp/20040528/ts_afp/iraq_us_unrest_sadr_040528082151

Clashes in Kufa despite truce called between US and militiamen

Fri May 28, 4:21 AM ET

KUFA, Iraq, (AFP) - Clashes have broken out in the Iraqi Shiite city of Kufa despite a truce called 24 hours earlier between militia of Moqtada Sadr and US forces, a witness said.

"Militiamen opened fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when three US tanks advanced towards the centre of Kufa," said Sabah al-Tamimi, an Iraqi journalist working for Iranian agency IRNA.


He said the tanks returned fire and stopped some 500 metres (yards) from the Kufa Grand mosque where Sadr regularly gives a sermon at Friday prayers, he said.


The clashes came after a ceasefire started at 2:00 am (2200 GMT Wednesday) Thursday between the two sides to try to end one of the most intractable problems facing Iraq in the run-up to the handover of sovereignty. <snip>

[bleedingheart]

1. Tell me if I am wrong...but when we are agreeing to Truces

doesn't that mean we aren't really winning???

If we were winning they would be under our control....right???

Perhaps it is my lack of a military education but lately when I hear "truce"...I don't think we are winning...

[papau]

2. True - and our 18 new Iraqi bases seem at risk if all we can do is truce!

:-)