(AFP)アメリカ政府はフランス、インド、パキスタンなど12ヶ国に対して イラクでの復興活動の防護の目的のために、多国籍軍へ部隊を派遣するよう要請した。 (イラクでの治安が一向に回復せず悪化しつつあるなかで米軍の兵力展開能力が限界に 達しており、また治安悪化などの状況でスペイン、シンガポール、タイ、ホンジュラス、 ニュージーランドなど「有志連合」参加国が次々と撤退を表明していることが背景にある。 US seeks contributors for new multinational force to protect UN in Iraq WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has asked more than a dozen countries to contribute to a multinational force to protect a UN operation in Iraq (news - web sites), should the world body decide to return there, US officials said.
The sons of Iraq's three grand ayatollahs -- including the most powerful one, Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani -- met al-Sadr Monday night in his Najaf office and assured him of their opposition to any U.S. strike.
"They agreed not to allow any hostile act against Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr and the city of Najaf," said a person at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.
現地警察によるとイラク北部において米兵が地元の有力な部族長の娘を射殺した。 射殺されたのはキルクークから南に40キロの町Sussの重要な部族長の25歳の娘で 射殺されたときは羊の世話をしていた。射殺した米兵は、その娘が米軍を攻撃 する容疑者だと思いこんで撃ったと話しているという。 In northern Iraq, a US soldier shot dead Sunday the daughter of an influential local tribal chief who was minding sheep near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a police officer told AFP. The victim, aged 25, was the daughter of an important tribal chief from the village of Suss, 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Kirkuk, The soldier said he had opened fire in the belief that he was dealing with a suspect, and claimed that most attacks on coalition forces south and south-east of Kirkuk were carried out by shepherds." http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040418/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_unrest_040418144755