[ppi] [ppiindia] Iraq Mortar Attack Injures 11 U.S. Troops

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Iraq Mortar Attack Injures 11 U.S. Troops=20

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents fired at least 10 mortar rounds at a U.S.=20
base on the outskirts of Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday,=20
wounding 11 soldiers, two of them seriously, and starting a fire that=20
burned for well over an hour.=20

That attack, along with a car bomb that exploded outside a police=20
headquarters in Samawah, 150 miles south of the capital, Baghdad,=20
were yet more evidence that insurgents have no plans of letting up=20
their attacks even after the U.S. coalition authorities handed over=20
sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government on Monday.=20

Despite the end of the occupation, about 160,000 foreign troops =97=20
most of them Americans =97 remain in Iraq (news - web sites) to provide=20
security and train Iraq's new security services. American officials=20
have warned that the transfer of sovereignty would not stop assaults.=20

Guerrillas struck the logistics base on the edge of Baghdad's airport=20
at about 8:15 a.m., said Lt. Col. Richard Rael, their commander. The=20
base is operated by the New Mexico Army National Guard's 515 Corps=20
Support Battalion.=20

"We're OK," Rael said. "We'll get back to business as usual."=20

A pall of black smoke hung over the airport for an hour after one of=20
the 82 mm mortar rounds struck a petroleum products yard. There were=20
no injuries from the fire.=20

The base has been subject to almost daily mortar attacks, but this=20
was the first time the attacks caused significant casualties and=20
damage.=20

Two people were wounded in the car bombing in Samawah, which set two=20
other vehicles ablaze, a hospital official said.=20

Meanwhile, the United States was still looking for U.S. Marine Cpl.=20
Wassef Ali Hassoun. On Tuesday, his status was changed from "missing"=20
to "captured."=20

An insurgent group has claimed the kidnapping of Hassoun and has=20
threatened to behead him unless Iraqi prisoners are released. Hassoun=20
was shown blindfolded with a sword brandished over his head in a=20
video aired on Al-Jazeera television.=20

Hassoun, of Lebanese descent, was last seen about a week before the=20
videotape was broadcast Sunday, the military said.=20

"The circumstances surrounding the Marine's absence initially=20
indicated that he was missing," a statement by the 1st Marine=20
Expeditionary Force said. "However, in light of what we have observed=20
on the terrorists' video, we have classified him as captured."=20

The New York Times, citing a Marine officer who spoke on the=20
condition of anonymity, reported Wednesday that Hassoun had been=20
traumatized after seeing one of his sergeants killed by a mortar, and=20
was trying to make his way back to Lebanon. The officer told the=20
paper that Hassoun sought the help of Iraqis on the base, was=20
betrayed by them, and was handed over the extremists.=20

Hassoun's eldest brother, Mohammad, who lives in a Salt Lake City=20
suburb, denied the report.=20

"To me it has no foundation. It's all wrong," Mohammad Hassoun said=20
Tuesday night.=20

Capt. Amy Malugani, spokeswoman for the 1st Marine Expeditionary=20
Force from Camp Pendleton, declined to comment on the report Tuesday.=20
She also would not say what steps the Marines were taking to rescue=20
Hassoun.=20

That report came after Turkey's foreign minister said Tuesday that=20
Iraqi insurgents freed three Turkish hostages, while two other=20
Turkish captives reportedly told their families they would soon be=20
released.=20

The Turks (news - web sites) were among dozens of people kidnapped in=20
Iraq in recent months. Most have been freed, but several were slain =97=20
two by being beheaded.=20

"Our citizens have been released," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told=20
state television. "We've struggled a lot for their release. We are=20
glad to hear this news."=20

He spoke after the Arab television station Al-Jazeera reported that=20
the group responsible for beheading two other foreign hostages had=20
announced it was freeing the three Turks.=20

The abduction of the Turks was claimed by Jordanian terror mastermind=20
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose followers killed American Nicholas Berg=20
last month and South Korean Kim Sun-Il last week.=20

Two other Turkish hostages were allowed to call their families to say=20
they would be freed within a week after their company agreed to stop=20
working for the U.S. military in Iraq, CNN-Turk television reported.=20

The fathers of the hostages told the private TV network their sons,=20
Soner Sercali and Murat Kizil, were in good health. The two air=20
conditioning repairmen were reported missing June 1.=20

Sercali's father Feridun said their employer, Kayteks, had agreed to=20
stop doing business in Iraq.=20



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