Iraqi resistance fighters detonated a bomb alongside a U.S. military convoy west of Baghdad on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding two others, the military said on Saturday. Separately, another soldier died in Baghdad from what was described as a "non-hostile" gunshot wound.
The bomb attack occurred at 6:30 a.m. in Ramadi, about 100 kilometers west of the Iraqi capital, the U.S. Central Command said. One of the wounded servicemen was evacuated to a combat hospital and died of his wounds.
Also, the U.S. military said a soldier from the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad died early Friday of a "non-hostile gunshot wound." There were no further details, The AP reported.
Meanwhile, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States, said Friday states that opposed the U.S. decision to invade Iraq have no right to protest U.S. initiatives restricting reconstruction contracts to allies.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan said he thought it was "amazing" that war opponents now "feel they have a right to share in the pie" of reconstruction contracts.
He added even more dangerous than terrorists themselves are those who say they condemn terrorism but don't actively fight it. Bandar repeatedly praised Bush's decisions to fight terrorism, invade Iraq and send troops to Afghanistan to oust the Taliban.
"We should be grateful for what the United States has done to get rid of those two evils, the Taliban and Saddam," Bandar said, according to The AP. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
