U.S. soldiers shot and wounded an Iraqi policeman in an apparent case of mistaken identity. He was just one of the nine killed and 35 wounded in today’s attacks. Meanwhile, the border situation between Iraq and its neighbors, Kuwait and Turkey remain uneasy. Also, Iraq made its first payment for new warplanes.
Families of Iraqi workers demonstrated against new measures designed to limit trade with Kuwait. The border point at Safwan is now allowing only 60 trucks to enter Iraq daily, and the drivers must contend with a higher border fee. The effect to Kuwait is limited as most of the goods originate outside of Kuwait, but the immediate consequence to Iraqis has been a considerable decrease in work. The measures are in response to the building of a new port in Kuwait. Iraq believes the port will interfere with its shipping lanes, a charge that Kuwait has denied.
In Turkey, two civilians were killed and five others were wounded in a sniper attack and clash in the Batman province. Kurdistan Workers Party (P.K.K.) rebels were blamed. Police arrested 17 suspected P.K.K. members in Şanlıurfa province, while 15 more were captured in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Turkish warplanes resumed air attacks on suspected P.K.K. camps in northern Iraq, as Iraqi officials demanded Turkey suspend the strikes.
A previously shelved deal to buy 18 F-16s from the United States has not only been reintroduced, but the first payment of $1.4 billion was already transferred. Iraq plans to take possession of the planes next year. The deal comes with pilot training.
U.S. soldiers shot and wounded a policeman who was working at a temporary checkpoint north of Baquba.
Twenty people were wounded in a hand grenade attack on a Mosul souk.
Gunmen killed a policeman and wounded three others at a checkpoint leading into Haditha.
Near Falluja, gunmen stormed a home where they killed a policeman and his parents. A brother survived with wounds. A roadside bomb killed a man and wounded two passengers.
Two policemen were killed and two others were wounded in a land mine blast in Shirqat.
An explosion in Mafraq left one dead and one injured.
In Baghdad, a government official was killed in Jamiaa. A bomb in Salchiya wounded four people.
An I.E.D. wounded a policeman in Garma.
Hundreds in Fadhila demonstrated against a U.S.-Iraqi raid.
