Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Staff Sgt. Shawn Smith greets his wife, Deanna; daughter Abigail, 16 months; and son, Bradley, 4, on Sunday in Tulsa, Okla., after spending eight months in Iraq. (click to enlarge) Kory Thompson of Harrah, Okla., whose son, Michael Thompson, was killed in Iraq, gets a hug in Lexington, Okla., on Sunday from returning soldiers who served with Michael.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Monday, May 25, 2009 Major Iraq attacks are down sharply The northern city of Mosul is considered the last urban area in the grip of al-Qaida in Iraq. Associated Press BAGHDAD -- High-profile attacks in Iraq have fallen nearly 60 percent in the past year, the U.S. military said Sunday, though violence continues to plague the northern city of Mosul, where a suicide car bomber targeting an American convoy killed one Iraqi and wounded 45 others Sunday. Mosul is considered the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq, and Sunday's attack comes as military operations are being conducted there before a June 30 deadline for U.S. forces to pull out of Iraq's cities. The Iraqi government has said that deadline will not be extended, despite concerns by American military commanders that Iraqi forces may not be ready to take on security for Mosul. U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. David Perkins said Sunday that high-profile attacks -- those involving a high number of casualties -- have fallen 58 percent from March and more than 50 percent from a month ago. There were 28 high-profile attacks in April and 13 so far this month, Perkins said. Those April attacks killed about 235 people and raised fears that the security gains of the past two years were eroding. Iraqi military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, insisted Iraq's security forces were ready to take over as U.S. forces leave Iraq's cities. "We are confident that Iraqi security forces are able to eliminate the remaining terrorist groups despite desperate acts by them to destabilize the situation," he told reporters during a joint U.S.-Iraqi briefing in Baghdad. Perkins said the two sides were still working out the details of the June 30 withdrawal, but said some U.S. noncombat personnel would remain inside Iraq's cities. President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops by Aug. 31, 2010, leaving 30,000 to 50,000 troops in advisory roles. Those remaining troops must leave Iraq by the end of 2011. Despite numerous U.S.-Iraqi military operations, Sunni insurgents remain active in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, and in Diyala province south of Mosul. The U.S. military also announced the arrest of a suspected female ringleader of a group believed responsible for recruiting women to be suicide bombers. In a statement released Sunday, the military said the woman was arrested in Baghdad on Saturday. Elsewhere, the Iraqi defense minister said the criminal court would investigate a U.S. raid in Kut in April that ended with at least one woman dead. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the raid a violation of a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, which requires American troops to have Iraqi approval for any raids conducted in the country. The U.S. military denied it overstepped its bounds and said it notified Iraqi authorities in advance. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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