56 civilians killed in US air strike west of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Aug. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- The US air strike early on Tuesday near the Iraqi western town of Qaim killed 56 civilians, said an Interior Ministry source. "We have information that the US aircraft pounded areas near the town of Qaim near the Syrian border, destroying four houses and killing a total of 56 people," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Sixteen people were killed in one of the houses, which was leveled in the attack, he said, adding 40 others were killed in a second house, where three families gathered. Only two boys aged eight and ten survived in the second house, he added. A US military spokesman said that its aircraft shelled suspectedal-Qaida hideouts near Qaim, killing several militants, including Abu Islam. "There was a total of three strikes targeting terrorist safe houses and Abu Islam and several of his associates were killed," said the spokesman in Baghdad. Earlier, the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite television reported that the US aircraft carried out strikes on villages near Qaim, killing more than 40 people and wounding dozens. "US aircraft pounded a house at about 2:00 a.m. (2200 GMT Monday) in Karabla village," the channel quoted witnesses as saying. "Thirty people are still under debris and only five wounded civilians were admitted to the medical center, which was also attacked by US aircraft. Some workers were wounded in the attack," medical sources were quoted as saying. Four hours later, a second house was destroyed by US aircraft in another air strike on al-Salman village near Qaim, killing 15 people, the channel said.
August 30, 2005 U.S. General Says Iraqis Will Need Longtime Support From Air Force By ERIC SCHMITT The New York Times WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 - The Air Force's top general said Monday that American warplanes would have to support Iraq's fledgling security forces well after American ground troops eventually withdraw from the country. Gen. John P. Jumper, who is to step down this week as the Air Force chief of staff, predicted that American fighter and reconnaissance aircraft would continue flying missions over Iraq for a long time, until Iraqi forces are capable of fighting insurgents on their own. "As I see the transition into the hands of the Iraqi military, I will continue to see the need for them to require the support from the air until they're able to set up their own ability to support themselves," General Jumper told reporters at the Pentagon. "And that's going to take a while, even after some future withdrawal of ground forces." In an interview earlier this month, General Jumper was even more explicit when asked about the Air Force's future in Iraq. "We will continue with a rotational presence of some type in that area more or less indefinitely," he said. "We have interests in that part of the world and an interest in staying in touch with the militaries over there." American and other allied combat aircraft, including remotely piloted Predator drones, now fly about 50 close-air support and armed reconnaissance missions every day. Iraq's tiny air force consists of just a few cargo and reconnaissance planes; the main allied effort has been to rebuild the Iraqi ground forces. A small number of the American planes are in Iraq, and if they remain there, they would have to be protected, probably by United States ground forces. But many American warplanes also fly missions over Iraq from other countries in the region. In the wide-ranging interview with reporters on Monday, General Jumper said the loss of access to an important air base in Uzbekistan could be offset without hurting combat operations and relief missions in Afghanistan. "We have plenty of alternatives," he said, without identifying them. "From a political point of view, I'm disappointed we've been asked to leave. From a mission point of view, we're going to get the mission just fine." He also said that despite a decision last week by the military base-closing commission to keep Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota open and to delay the closing of Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, as well as to restore some proposed shifts of Air National Guard units, the panel approved about 70 percent of the Pentagon's recommendations affecting Air Force bases. "That's still a considerable amount of change," General Jumper said. "I don't look at it as a severe blow. I look at it as getting actually most of what we asked for." Four previous commissions each endorsed about 85 percent of the Defense Department's recommendations to close, consolidate or shift military sites. A Pentagon spokesman, Glenn Flood, said Pentagon analysts were still calculating the results of the panel's decisions last week. General Jumper, 60, whose first day at the office as chief of staff was Sept. 11, 2001, will be succeeded Friday by the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
Bush compares Iraq war to WWII President also likens September 11 attacks to Pearl Harbor CORONADO, California (AP) -- Facing a public increasingly wary of his war policies, President Bush declared Tuesday that America cannot rest until its freedom is secure and likened his spreading-democracy vision to Franklin D. Roosevelt's. Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the president drew comparisons between that 20th-century conflict and current wars on terror and in Iraq. "As we mark this anniversary, we are again a nation at war. Once again war came to our shores with a surprise attack that killed thousands in cold blood," he said at a naval base here, referring to September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He said that as in the time of World War II, the United States now faces "a ruthless enemy" and "once again we will not rest until victory is America's and our freedom is secure." Bush invoked the memory of his father as a young Navy pilot shot down over the Pacific and of an optimistic Roosevelt calling on Americans to defend liberty. He portrayed Roosevelt's vision as similar to his own -- a commitment to spreading freedom even when U.S. allies were not convinced it was the best course. "Franklin Roosevelt refused to accept that democracy was finished," Bush said. "His optimism reflected his belief that the enemy's will to power could not withstand our will to live in freedom." The president praised veterans of World War II two weeks after the anniversary of the August 14, 1945, surrender by Japan that ended that conflict. "The freedom that was born of your sacrifice has lifted millions of God's children across the Earth," he said while standing in the shadow of the red, white and blue-adorned USS Ronald Reagan, the newest aircraft carrier in the fleet. The speech at the Naval Air Station North Island here was the president's third address about Iraq or the war on terrorism in less than two weeks, part of an intensified effort to allay the fears of a public that has become increasingly skeptical about his Iraq policies. Iraq woes have dogged Bush throughout his August break. One grieving mother who lost a son in Iraq set up camp near Bush's ranch just days after he got there, demanding to meet with the president and promising to stay until she could question him about the war. Cindy Sheehan was denied a meeting, a decision some administration officials now are second-guessing, since what started as a one-woman mission turned into a sprawling anti-war protest that drew close media attention. Hundreds of people from across the country have joined Sheehan and have asked the president to bring home troops immediately. Bush supporters countered with their own gathering nearby. At the same time, it was an especially bloody month in Iraq, with the number of U.S. military members who have died since March 2003 now nearing 1,900. The count, coupled with polls that show public backing of the Iraq war slipping, has taken a toll on national support for Bush. His approval rating on Iraq has fallen below 40 percent in polls. Also contributing to Bush's discomfort was the Iraqi government's effort to craft a constitution. The process was marked by repeated delays. Though now complete, the final version is far from what U.S. officials had envisioned. Critics say the document does not adequately protect religious freedom and women's rights.