Articles 5.26.2005

The Associated Press reports that legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to change the Department of Defense next-of-kin policy. According to the article, "Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., inserted a clause Wednesday into the Defense Department Authorization Act that would require all service members to designate who should receive their body if they die in combat. Service members would also have to periodically update or reconfirm their designation whenever they are deployed, according to the proposed legislative directive." The legislative effort is directly related to the custody battle over the remains of SSG Jason Hendrix, of the 1-9th. The article also cites another case where divorced parents clashed over the burial location of their son killed in action.
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Several articles discuss the alleged injury of terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi. The Washington Post cites on of his top lieutenants indicating "he was wounded in an ambush by U.S. Marines and Iraqi forces over the weekend around the western city of Ramadi." However, "A U.S. military official, Lt. Col. David Lapan, said Wednesday that he had found no record of such an ambush." The lieutenant indicated that "He is wounded in his right lung, in which the bullets crossed and remained in his back" and "is being given respiration." From an AP article: "Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said his office believes al-Zarqawi was wounded, but said he did not know how seriously or if he was dead." AFP quotes the Interior Minisiter saying: "We received information five days ago [around 5.21.2005] saying that Zarqawi had been wounded but we don't know the seriousness of his injuries."
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Blackanthem.com reprints a Marine Corps press release indicating that a Ramadi-based insurgent leader was captured. Muhammad Daham Abd Hamadi, leader of a group called Al-Naman Brigade, an "extremist organization that targets the citizens of Ramadi and Coalition Forces," was captured in Baghdad after several intelligence sources and tips led to his location. According to the article, "Daham is responsible for numerous attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces and has provided weapons, funds, and foreign fighters to numerous small cells operating under his control. He has been linked to several kidnappings in the Ramadi area. Daham and his organization kidnap local businessmen and governmental officials to fund terrorist operations."
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Other articles from the region:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Putting stock in Iraq
Baghdad exchange is a whirlwind of fierce optimism
- Reuters: Iraq unveils massive security offensive [in Baghdad]
- USA Today: Modern memorials stand for the warriors, not the war
- BBC: Iraq to launch huge Baghdad raids
- LA Times (reg req'd): U.S. Troops Pour Into Rebel-Held Iraqi Town [of Haditha]
- Multi-National Force-Iraq: U.S. and Iraqi Forces begin conducting operations around Haditha
- Christian Science Monitor: A violent street finds calm
- NY Times (reg req'd): Shiites Offer to Give Sunnis Larger Role on Broader Panel Writing a Constitution