Capture of Insurgent Leader Reported

The U.S. military announced the capture Saturday of an insurgent leader who was recruiting and training women, including his wife, to wrap themselves in explosives and blow themselves up. This is the latest sign that al-Qaida in Iraq plans to keep using women to carry out suicide attacks. In southern Iraq, A British airman was killed in a rocket attack on a base near Basra late Friday, according to a British military spokesman. The U.S. military said it had killed six insurgents and detained 13 suspects Friday and Saturday during operations against al-Qaida in Iraq in central and northern Iraq.

Rockets Kill 5 Near Baghdad Airport

Rockets slammed into an Iraqi housing complex near the Baghdad international airport and a nearby U.S. military base on Monday, killing at least five people and wounding 16, including two U.S. soldiers, officials said. American troops acting on strong evidence arrested six Iraqi suspects in the vicinity of the apparent launching sites. The brazen attack followed a weekend in which U.S and Iraqi officials touted the security gains of a year old operation in Baghdad that included an influx of some 30,000 extra American troops.

U.S. Plans Troops in Iraq into 2009

President Bush's top diplomat in Iraq said Friday that the U.S. plans to keep combat troops there into 2009, seen as the tipping point for establishing the nation's long term security, and he offered no deadline for a full withdrawal. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told The Associated Press that he can't make an promises if, as the Democratic candidates have signaled, the next president pulls forces out faster or in greater numbers. He said American remains a center of gravity in Iraq almost five years after invasion, and that violence and political development both hinge to a considerable degree on whether U.S. forces remain there.

US to Help Turkey Combat Rebels

President George W. Bush has promised extra help to tackle Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, following talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Bush offered to share intelligence with Turkey and declared the PKK rebel organization an enemy of Turkey, a free Iraq and the United States. Turkey has threatened to hit bases used by the PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party) unless the US and Iraq do more to help.

Exile Condemns Iraqi Corruption

Iraq's former anti-corruption chief has given further details of what he says is widespread abuse in his country. He told the new that the commission he headed had gathered evidence of 3,000 cases of corruption. He was speaking of Washington, where he fled earlier this year, saying he feared for his life. A former judge charged with leading the fight against corruption in Iraq, he accused the Baghdad government of stopping him from pursuing culprits.

Lawmakers Return to Face Iraq and Mortgage Issues

Members of Congress, like many schoolchildren, were back at their desks after a summer break. Unlike the students, however, lawmakers will immediately face major tests on Iraq, children's health care, a home mortgage crisis and the budget. Minutes after Senate session opened, several dozen anti-war protesters were escorted by police from the spectators' gallery after standing silently as Majority Leader Harry Reid brought up the subject of Iraq.

Iraqi Government Appeals For Calm

The Iraqi government has called on other militant groups to follow the examples of Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and freeze their activities. In a statement, the office of the Prime Minister, welcomed Mr. Sadr's order to stop armed action for a maximum period of six months. Officials appealed to all armed groups. both Sunni and Shia, saying it was a good opportunity to halt attacks.

Lawmakers Expect Troop Reduction

A conservative Republican senator said Sunday most lawmakers believe President Bush will focus on reducing U. S. Troops in Iraq once a top general reports in September on the war's progress. General David Petraeus, the top U. S. commander in Iraq will tell the president and Congress whether the current troop increase is working. By September, when the General makes a report, most of the people in Congress believe, unless something extraordinary occurs, that we should be on a move to draw those surge numbers down. Time will tell.