Iraq war continues by Claudia Sonea

After Gen David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, stated that on Sunday that the threat from al- Qaida in the capital city Baghdad was reduced, gunmen kidnapped 10 Sunni and Shiite tribal sheiks from their cars while they were heading home to Diyala province after talks with the government on fighting al-Qaida. Moreover, a suicide car bomber struck a crowded commercial zone in Northen Kirkuk, killing at least eight people and wounding 26. Police officials states that the seven Sunnis and three Shiites were ambushed in Baghdad's predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Shaab at about 3:30 p.m. and later on the body of Mishaan Hilan, a Sunni sheik, was found 50 yards further away from the scene of the kidnapping. A Shiite relative accuses Sunni extremists and said the attackers picked a Shiite neighborhood to create strife between Shiite and Sunni tribe. However, Jassim Zeidan al-Anbaqi said something like this will not happen. It all contributes to a strategy of scarying those who want to help the Americans and join them. Petraeus, after a transition ceremony as the 1st Armored Division, which is based in Wiesbaden, Germany, took in charge the command of northern Iraq from the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division at Camp Speicher, a U.S. base near Saddam Hussein's hometown. Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, the new commander of the region, without any solid figures to provide declares a big decrease in attacks. At least 35 people were killed or found dead across the nation, including the decomposing bodies of 12 Shiites found near the Diyala provincial, in this fight between al-Qaida and US. On the other hand, US top commander reflects on the matter of Al-Tai, a Sunni Arab from the northern city of Mosul, who negotiated the cease-fire, than ended the 1991 Gulf War, when a U.S.-led coalition drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Despite the fact that al-Tai's lawyers said immunity was promised to their client, Petraeus denies. Nevertheless he admits to behave nice towards him, bringing his family to see him and giving him special attention. Is there a purpose for everything? There is still the matter of constantly intimidating those that join Americans' cause. Stay connected and watch what happens next.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071028/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AqQb7BUpeewd8_zBZJlVuPWs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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