The U.S. "reposture" continues, with officials paying southern tribes to maintain security along routes used for the withdrawal. Also, 10 Iraqis were killed and 16 more were wounded in new attacks.
The U.S. military is paying over 20 tribal sheiks to maintain security for the withdrawing U.S. troops on their way to Kuwait. The fear is that attacks may take place in some of the sparsely populated, desert areas along this route south. U.S. officials took this opportunity to again blame Iran for backing militias in the region. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that Iraq would be able to achieve stability and not succumb to pressure from neighboring Iran after U.S. troops depart.
A father and son were killed as they were allegedly making a bomb at their Kirkuk home. Three relatives were wounded. In what may be the same incident, a Christian man was killed and four family members were wounded when a bomb blew up at their home. Elsewhere, gunmen killed a civilian.
Four soldiers were killed during a roadside bomb in Abu Ghraib. Two more were wounded.
In Baghdad, a blast in the Camp Sara neighborhood wounded six civilians.
In Ain al-Jahish, gunmen killed a police official and wounded his bodyguard.
A sticky bomb killed a policeman in Falluja.
