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Car blast kills 3 { April 4 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/iraq/ny-woexplosion0404,0,5163911.story?coll=ny%2Dtop%2Dspan%2Dheadlines http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/iraq/ny-woexplosion0404,0,5163911.story?coll=ny%2Dtop%2Dspan%2Dheadlines Car Blast Kills 3 Soldiers in Iraq The Associated Press April 4, 2003, 6:52 AM EST CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar -- A car exploded near a coalition checkpoint in western Iraq, killing three coalition soldiers, a pregnant woman and the car's driver, U.S. Central Command said Friday. A Central Command spokesman said it appeared to be a suicide attack and occurred 80 miles east of the Syrian border and northwest of Baghdad. In a statement, Central Command said the incident occurred Thursday evening about 11 miles southwest of the Haditha Dam, when a civilian vehicle approached a coalition checkpoint. "A pregnant female stepped out of the vehicle and began screaming in fear," a statement said. "At this point the civilian vehicle exploded, killing three coalition force members who were approaching the vehicle and wounding two others." It said the woman and the driver also were killed. Jim Wilkinson, spokesman at U.S. Central Command, said the incident showed the Iraqi leadership was using desperate measures to remain in power. Earlier this week U.S. officials have said a man posing as a taxi driver staged a suicide attack that killed four soldiers at an Army checkpoint. "The more desperate the regime gets, the more desperate their tactics become," Wilkinson said. "This is just the latest tragic example." Troops have been on heightened alert following the first suicide attack at the checkpoint last week, and have fired on civilian vehicles that have approached checkpoints. In the deadliest incident reported so far, 11 members of the same family were killed when troops fired on their car near Najaf earlier this week. U.S. officials have defended the heightened alert of their troops, saying they have a right to defend themselves against what they call "terrorist" tactics by the Iraqi regime. In the first suicide attack of the war, a bomber posing as a taxi driver pulled up close to a roadblock north of Najaf on Saturday, waved to American troops for help, then blew his vehicle up as they approached. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein rewarded the officer, honoring him with a posthumous promotion, two new medals and a huge financial windfall for his family. The Iraqi government has said suicide bombings will be a "routine military policy" and has promised more attacks. Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.

20 missing killed 50 wounded { March 24 2003 } 9 dead rescuing wounded { March 31 2003 } AJ [jpg] Blackhawk apache missing Blackhawk shot down { April 2 2003 } Car blast kills 3 { April 4 2003 } Cia iraq assets executed Clashes river crossing 16 dead { March 24 2003 } F15 goes down Gunner marine dies power line Iraq claimed 2 helicopters downed Iraq shot down anti tank plane { April 9 2003 } Iraq tv parades deaths { March 23 2003 } Iraqis inflict casualties { March 23 2003 } Iraqis knock out 2 abrams tanks { March 26 2003 } Marines drowned full gear { March 27 2003 } Missiles downed f18 hornet { April 3 2003 } Ominous signs { March 23 2003 } Suicide taxi driver kills soldiers { March 29 2003 } Two apaches downed { March 24 2003 } Files Listed: 20

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