WAR: Rumsfeld On Surprise Visit To Iraq As Attacks Kill 11, page 1

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld paid a surprise visit to the Al-Asad Air Base and several key Iraqi officials today as two seperate attacks killed at least 11, including one American GI. Rumsfeld continued to stress the importance of January elections and said that attacks were likely to continue and worsen in the weeks leading up to the election

story.news.yahoo.com
BAGHDAD (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on a surprise visit to Iraq (news - web sites), predicted violence would increase ahead of January"s elections as rebel attacks killed 11 people including a US soldier.

But giving a boost to efforts to restore security, rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr"s Mehdi Army militia was poised to disarm in Baghdad"s Shiite slum of Sadr City, while leaders from the rebel bastion of Fallujah were negotiating a truce with the Iraqi government.

Eying January"s high stakes elections, Rumsfeld made an unannounced trip to Baghdad and the Al-Asad airbase in Fallujah"s restive province of Al-Anbar for talks with Iraqi officials and US commanders.

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In a related matter, British Hostage Kenneth Bigley was executed by his captors, and the tape of the beheading is reportedly now available on the internet. My general feeling is that security wil remain precarious at best ahead of elections, and the violence against kidnapped hostages will increase. My opinion only.

Related News Links:
story.news.yahoo.com
www.nytimes.com
www.reuters.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Kenneth Bigley and Censorship
DEFENSE: Candidate plans on the Iraq War fix

Edit: sp

[edit on 10-10-2004 by everlastingnoitall]