For the second straight day, U.S. troops fatally fire on vehicles in Iraq.

By LEILA FADEL
McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD For the second day in a row, American troops Tuesday killed Iraqi civilians when they fired on a vehicle that they thought was a threat, the U.S. military said.
Two people died and four were injured when a U.S. soldier fired at a minibus transporting workers to a bank operated by the Iraqi Finance Ministry, the military said. Iraqi police and employees at the bank said four people were killed, including three women, and two were injured.
The U.S. military also reported that two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Salah ad Din province. Two soldiers were wounded.
The military gave no further details.
The minibus was driving near a U.S. military outpost in the al-Shaab neighborhood of northern Baghdad when it ended up on a road where only car traffic is permitted, the military said. American soldiers signaled the minibus to stop, and when it did not, one of them fired a warning shot.
On Monday, a child and two men were killed when their vehicle rushed through a U.S. military roadblock while the military was conducting an operation in Bayji, north of Baghdad. U.S. soldiers opened fire on the vehicle.

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Ten-hut! Here's how to ship mail to soldiers

It sounds like a nice idea, but before you add "Any Wounded Soldier" to your Christmas card list, keep in mind that your well wishes will likely wind up in the trash.In-boxes are flooded this time of year with mass e-mails urging us to remember our military men and women when we mail our holiday greetings. One note says to direct cards and packages to "A Recovering American Soldier" at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. But Walter Reed says not so fast.Citing Defense Department policy, the hospital says it can't accept mail that isn't addressed to a specific patient. Officials said the decision is intended to protect patients and staff.

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Bombs Strike Children, US Troops in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least three children and three of the troopers, U.S. and Iraqi authorities said.
Seven children were wounded in the attack in Baqouba, where U.S. soldiers wrested control from al-Qaida in Iraq last summer.
The attack, along with a series of other blasts in the capital and to the north, underlined the uncertainty of security in Iraq even as the American military said overall violence is down 55 percent since a troop buildup began this year.
Police said the attack occurred as U.S. soldiers were handing out toys, sports equipment and other treats in a playground near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
Few details were available, but the U.S. military said it was a "suicide vest attack" and that three American soldiers were killed.
Rasoul Issam, 16, said he and his friends were playing soccer when the U.S. soldiers called to them from their vehicles to come get gifts.

story by: By KIM GAMEL

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Army desertions skyrocket

This year, 4,698 U.S. Army soldiers have deserted, an increase of 42% from last year and 80% since the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Pentagon says. At the same time, Navy and Marine desertions fell.
The rates remain below those for the draft-fed Vietnam War, but they still reflect the growing strain of deployments to Iraq. More than 75% of deserters are in their first term.
Soldiers who are absent without leave for more than 30 days are declared to be deserters and discharged.
"We're asking a lot of soldiers these days," said Roy Wallace, the Army's director of personnel plans and resources. "They're humans. They have all sorts of issues back home and other places like that. So, I'm sure it has to do with the stress of being a soldier."
The Army Times and the Associated Press have filed the most detailed stories so far.
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The pride of an American Soldier

Despite the equivocation of Attorney General Mukasey about torture, the pseudo-macho fantasies of the fearful voting for him, and the absence of leadership in candidates that avoided it, Mr. Gates and the communication department of the Pentagon figured this one out. They re-issued and reinforced guidance about waterboarding and torture, to insure that there isn’t confusion in the ranks.
Pam Hess (welcome to the AP), an excellent, experienced reporter with lots of experience in Iraq reports for the AP:
As Mukasey equivocated on Capitol Hill, saying he would have to know the specific details surrounding the interrogation to judge whether it was torture, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the military ban at a press conference on Nov. 1.
“The fact is it’s not a permitted technique under the Army Field Manual, and therefore, no member of the U.S. military is allowed to do it, period,” he said.
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Wounded but still standing!

Army News Service Dennis Ryan November 12, 2007FORT MYER, Va. -- Exactly two months ago 2nd Lt. Mark Little was patrolling in Iraq, when he was wounded by an improvised explosive device. He lost both of his legs.
Wednesday morning at the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial, Lt. Little stood proudly outside on his new prosthesis for the first time to receive the silver bars of a first lieutenant.
Brig. Gen. John D. Johnson, special assistant to the commanding general of the Installation Management Command, called Lt. Little a "proven leader" and someone who "has already made sacrifices for his nation" before pinning the bars on the Soldier.
"This is a guy who gives so much to his country," Brig. Gen. Johnson said after the ceremony. "The attitude he has is inspiring to see. That's the epitome of a Soldier. We've had Soldiers such as Gen. [Frederick M.] Franks [Jr.] who've lost limbs and gone on to great careers. It's what's in your heart and what's in your head that matters."
In May 1970, Gen. Franks was wounded in action in Cambodia. His leg was amputated below the knee and, after rehabilitation, he remained on active duty. Franks went on to lead 146,000 U.S. and British forces during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His units rolled more than 250 kilometers in 89 hours to liberate Kuwait in February 1991.
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2007 Is Deadliest Year for U.S. Troops in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Nov. 6 — Six American soldiers were killed in three separate attacks in Iraq on Monday, the military said Tuesday, taking the number of deaths this year to 852. The toll makes 2007 the deadliest year of the war for United States troops.

Military officials announced the discovery of a mass grave holding 22 bodies in a rural area north of Falluja. They also said that nine Iranians being held in Iraq would soon be released, including two of the five who were detained during a January raid of a consulate office in Erbil.
Five of the American soldiers died in two roadside bomb attacks on Monday near Kirkuk, said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, director of the communications division of the Multinational Force-Iraq, the formal name for the United States-led forces.

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Crooks and Liars » FOXNews Sunday: George Bush Senior crys over badly treated prisoners!

Bush: “My favorite picture is a picture of American soldiers surrounding a guy whose been in a foxhole, Iraqi soldier, and the American guy says, we’re not going to harm you, we’re American soldiers.” (fights back tears)
Bush: “…See, that side of the war never got — the fact that we treated those people with respect in spite of the fact they were the enemy, it’s really good.

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U.S. solider in Iraq will win Super Bowl tickets - Scott Wong

U.S. solider in Iraq will win Super Bowl tickets
Scott WongThe Arizona RepublicNov. 3, 2007 12:00 AM
A lucky American soldier stationed in Iraq doesn't know it yet, but he or she will have a great view of the Super Bowl in Glendale on Feb. 3.Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, a Defense Department contractor that provides health care for military personnel and veterans, is donating two of its Super Bowl tickets to a soldier stationed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit. TriWest is working with the Pentagon on details of the trip. A drawing will be held in January.
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