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Soldier killed as shiite protesters stream toward capital { April 9 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/09/international/middleeast/09iraq.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/09/international/middleeast/09iraq.html
April 9, 2005
G.I. Is Killed as Shiites Gather for Protest Against U.S.
By ROBERT F. WORTH
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 8 - An American soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in northern Iraq on Friday, and Shiite protesters began streaming toward the capital for a demonstration against the American presence in Iraq on Saturday, the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
The soldier was struck and killed at noon near Hawija, about 30 miles west of the northern city of Kirkuk, American military officials said in a statement. An American marine was also killed Wednesday in a vehicle accident during combat operations west of the capital in Anbar Province, military officials said Friday.
In Basra, an Iraqi Army officer was shot dead in a restaurant on Thursday night, military officials said Friday. The officer, Maj. Mahmoud Hassan al-Yassiri, was dining with a friend when gunmen burst into the restaurant, fired into the air to scatter the other diners, and then shot Major Hassan in the head, the officials said.
Throughout southern Iraq, Shiites loyal to the cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who called for the demonstration, began driving north toward Baghdad. Mr. Sadr has led two uprisings against the American occupation and the interim government. He still controls a militia of several thousand, but has been quiet in recent months after agreeing to sponsor candidates for Iraq's new national assembly.
The demonstration was scheduled to start Saturday morning in Sadr City, the impoverished Shiite district in northeast Baghdad, and end with a rally in Firdos Square, where a statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down by Iraqis and American soldiers two years ago on April 9.
More violence broke out Friday as Shiites began converging on Baghdad for the protest. Gunmen fired on a convoy from Karbala as it arrived in the capital's southern district of Doura, wounding Fadhil al-Showki, an official with Mr. Sadr's organization in Karbala, the police said. One of Mr. Showki's aides was also wounded.
Elsewhere in Doura, a police officer was wounded Friday when another group of attackers fired on his patrol, police officials said.
Three guards outside the Labor Ministry building in Baghdad were wounded when attackers drove past and opened fire with small arms, Interior Ministry officials said.
The Associated Press reported that four children were killed Friday by a homemade bomb as they collected trash in southeastern Baghdad. Interior Ministry officials said they were not aware of the incident.
In the northern city of Mosul, a suicide bomber drove a sedan full of explosives into an American patrol, wounding three Iraqi traffic police officers, witnesses said.
The violence on Friday came a day after Iraq's new president appointed Ibrahim al-Jaafari as prime minister. The assembly is scheduled to meet again on Sunday morning, and Dr. Jaafari, a leader in the Shiite alliance, may begin selecting his cabinet, which is expected to be complete within two weeks.
Cameraman With CBS Papers Held
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 8 (AP) - A cameraman carrying CBS press credentials was detained in Iraq earlier this week on suspicion of insurgent activity, the United States military said Friday.
The cameraman suffered minor injuries on Tuesday during a battle between American soldiers and suspected insurgents, the military said. He was standing next to a suspected insurgent who was killed during the shootout, the statement said.
At the time, the military issued a statement saying the cameraman was shot because his equipment was mistaken for a weapon.
But on Friday, the military said the cameraman was detained because there was probable cause to believe he posed "an imperative threat to coalition forces."
"He is currently detained and will be processed as any other security detainee," the statement said.
A spokeswoman for CBS News, Leigh Farris, said, "We're looking into the situation."
A spokesman for the military, Capt. Mark Walter, said the cameraman suffered minor wounds and was with "a number of people" involved in the shootout.
Captain Walter said the cameraman was detained immediately after the incident, partly because of statements from witnesses to the battle.
Officials are investigating the man's previous activities as well as "his alleged support of anti-Iraqi insurgency activities," the statement said.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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