- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Thirty-five
U.S. soldiers were wounded in a mortar attack west of Baghdad, while Washington
planned to launch a carrot-and-stick peace drive on Thursday that involves
freeing hundreds of prisoners.
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- An estimated six mortar rounds struck in or near Logistical
Base Seitz on Wednesday night, said a U.S. military statement, adding the
wounded troops had been given first aid or evacuated for medical treatment.
-
- "Some have already returned to duty," a U.S.
military spokesman told Reuters, but he was unable to give any figures.
-
- No further details were available of the attack or the
seriousness of those receiving medical treatment. The soldiers belonged
to the 541st Maintenance Battalion of the U.S. 3rd Corps Support Command.
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- Washington has blamed supporters of Saddam Hussein and
foreign Islamic militants for guerrilla attacks on U.S.-led forces and
Iraqis cooperating with the U.S.-led administration in Baghdad.
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- Iraq's U.S. governor Paul Bremer said the prisoner releases
would be accompanied by a crackdown on remaining die-hard guerrillas, in
what a coalition official described as a "carrot-and-stick" effort
to secure lasting peace.
-
- About 500 Iraqis held as low-level security threats in
the last eight months are due to be released. Altogether some 9,000 prisoners
are being held and many more have been detained and released since Saddam
was ousted in April.
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