Bombings in Iraq Kill 9 U.S. Troops
October 18, 2006 -- IRAQ NEWS
9 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq Bombings
The U.S. military reported Wednesday that nine American troops had been killed in bombings and combat, raising to 67 the number of U.S. troops killed in October. (AP)
Iraq Removes Leaders of Special Police
The two most senior police commanders were removed in a bid to purge Iraq's security forces of militias and death squads. (NY Times)
Troops Try to Curb Warfare North of Baghdad
U.S. and Iraqi troops sought to restore order Tuesday to a lush farming district north of the capital where more than 100 Sunni Arabs and Shiite Muslims have disappeared or been brutally killed in sectarian fighting in recent days. (LA Times)
AFGHANISTAN
44 Taliban Killed In Afghan Clashes; British Forces Exit Southern District
British troops pulled out of a troubled southern Afghanistan district Tuesday after reaching an agreement with tribal elders, while fighting killed 44 suspected Taliban militants across the country, officials said. (AP)
Afghan Kidnappers Demand Convert
The kidnappers of an Italian journalist in Afghanistan have offered to free him in exchange for a Christian convert who fled the country, an aid agency says. (BBC)
SUDAN
Sudan 'Backs' Janjaweed Fighters
The Janjaweed militia in Darfur are fighting with direct support and orders from Sudan's government, a man claiming to be a former member has told the BBC. (BBC)
Watch It
(BBC)
Inside Sudan's Army
Far from home, soldiers have little fight in them. (NY Times)
PAKISTAN
Pak. Probing JI's Links with al Qaeda, Taliban
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) of Pakistan, a key component of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal coalition, could be in serious trouble with the military regime initiating action against some of its functionaries for alleged links with Al Qaeda and Taliban and the US agencies probing these connections, a media report said. (PTI)
IAEA
IAEA Predicts More Nuclear States
Up to 30 more countries may develop atomic weapons if the proliferation of nuclear technology is not stopped, the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned. (BBC)
U.K.
Terrorist Suspect Fled As His Curfew Order Was Quashed
An al Qaeda terror suspect broke a control order by removing his electronic tag and disappearing hours before the order was renewed, security sources disclosed yesterday. (The London Times)
Runaway Terror Suspect 'May Have 7/7 Link'
A terror suspect who is on the run after breaking a control order may have links to the 7/7 London bombings, according to reports. (ITV)
U.S.
FBI Yet to Find Evidence of Foley-Page Sexual Contact
After interviewing some 40 former congressional pages, FBI agents have yet to turn up any evidence of direct sexual contact between underage pages and former Congressman Mark Foley. (ABC News)
New Radiation Detectors Not Worth Their High Price, Says GAO
New and 'advanced' radiation portal monitors, which are supposed to detect the presence of dangerous radiological material in vehicles and containers at U.S. seaports and borders, are not worth their $80 million price tag, according to a letter sent today from the Government Accountability Office to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. (ABC News)
Half Million in Legal Fees from Campaign War Chest for California Congressman
California Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who is facing multiple federal corruption probes, has used campaign contributions to pay over half a million dollars in legal fees in just the past three months, according to quarterly reports filed last Friday with the Federal Election Commission. (ABC News)
JORDAN
Jordan Convicts Militant Plotters
A military court in Jordan has found eight Islamist militants guilty of plotting to kill US troops in Iraq and Americans and Jews in Jordan. (BBC)
FILM
Stone Film Sets Sights on Osama bin Laden
In a follow-up to his recent 9/11 drama "World Trade Center," filmmaker Oliver Stone plans to direct a movie about the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and hunt for Osama bin Laden, Paramount Pictures said on Monday. (Reuters)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Monitoring a Little-Noticed War
On Monday, 94 people died and 150 were injured when a truck loaded with explosives rammed into a military convoy in Sri Lanka. The government blames the Tamil Tiger guerrillas - the pioneers of the suicide bombing - for the attack. The rebels have not said anything. (New York Times)
655,000 War Dead?
By Steven E. Moore
After doing survey research in Iraq for nearly two years, I was surprised to read that a study by a group from Johns Hopkins University claims that 655,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the war. Don't get me wrong, there have been far too many deaths in Iraq by anyone's measure; some of them have been friends of mine. But the Johns Hopkins tally is wildly at odds with any numbers I have seen in that country. Survey results frequently have a margin of error of plus or minus 3% or 5% -- not 1200%. [Subscription Required] (Wall Street Journal)
Somalia Simmers
Four months ago an Islamic fundamentalist movement gained control of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after defeating an alliance of local warlords backed by the United States. (Washington Post)
The West is Running Out of Time in Afghanistan
By Michael Scheuer
From all observables, the Taliban insurgency is spreading from its deeply rooted base in southern and southeastern Afghanistan to provinces in the west and east. (The Jamestown Foundation)
A Terrorist's Immunity
If the Bush administration wants to be consistent in opposing terrorism in all its forms, it should declassify documents relevant to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's possible guilt in the Letelier-Moffitt assassination. (The Boston Globe)
Striking the U.S. Where It Hurts
By Victor N Corpus
A noted Chinese theorist on modern warfare, Chang Mengxiong, compared China's form of fighting to "a Chinese boxer with a keen knowledge of vital body points who can bring an opponent to his knees with a minimum of movements." (Asia Times)
The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Elizabeth Sprague of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.