4 NATION/WORLD US. soldiers NEWS IN BRIEF HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD encounter WASHINGTON fighting in Iraqi cities Fighting across Iraq punctuated by firefight in Khaldiyah, raids in north KHALDIYAH, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi insurgents ambushed U.S. convoys with roadside bombs and rocket-pro- pelled grenades yesterday, triggering an eight-hour battle in which the American military - in a display of force - sent in fighter jets, bombers, helicopters and tanks. One U.S. soldier was killed and three were wounded. And in northern Iraq, U.S. soldiers launched two dozen raids, arresting 92 people and seizing weapons and ammunition. One of the raids involved the largest joint operation between U.S. military police and American-trained Iraqi police; about 200 Iraqi officers took part. The two ambushes hit U.S. military convoys about 9 a.m. in the Sunni Muslim towns of Habaniyah and Khaldiyah, six miles apart along the Euphrates River and about 50 miles west of the Baghdad. As the major firefight raged in Khaldiyah, it seemed as though the Americans were pinned down, with the insurgents opening fire each time the U.S. patrol tried to withdraw. Eventual- ly commanders called in jet fighters, A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, heli- copters and tanks. The attackers apparently hid in trees and shrubs lining the dirt road where the roadside bombs left four big craters. Reporters saw four badly damaged farm compounds in the al-Qurtan neighborhood on the north side of Khaldiyah, scene of several previous firefights between the U.S. military and guerrilla fighters. Angry residents cursed at reporters who entered the fire zone after the battle. Civilians, including women and chil- dren, fled. One Iraqi man, running away with his wife, three other women, a nephew and five children, said many homes were damaged. He refused to give his name. "Is this the freedom that we were promised?" he asked. "I had to get my family out. ... The helicopters were fir- ing almost nonstop. My 7-year-old is too young to hate but how can he not hate them (the Americans) after this?" Lt. Col. Jeff Swisher, of the 1st Infantry Division, defended the use of force. "American forces are here to provide security for the Iraqi people. If we are attacked, we are a well-trained and dis- ciplined force, and we will respond," Swisher said. "At 9 this morning an American patrol was ambushed by IEDs (road- side bombs), RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) and small arms fire. The patrol returned fire and support was called in," Swisher said. He said two soldiers were wounded and a civilian was hurt in the battle, from which U.S. forces did not begin withdrawing until about 5:30 p.m. About 10 minutes after the ambush in Khaldiyah, a homemade bomb exploded as a U.S. convoy passed in Habaniyah, killing one soldier and wounding another, said U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. George Krivo. Six soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were wounded Sunday in nearby Fallujah in another roadside bombing, U.S. officials said. Meanwhile, soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division launched two dozen raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, 120 miles north of Baghdad, and other areas in the north of the country, arresting 92 people and seiz- ing weapons and ammunition. The operations, which ended yester- day morning, were designed to "break the back of the Fedayeen," said Lt. Col. David Poirier, who commands the 720th Military Police Battalion based in Fort Hood, Texas. "The people we went after are the trigger-pullers attacking the coalition," Poirier said. "We want to send the mes- sage that if you pull the trigger on the coalition, we will get you." Of the 92 arrested, four were taken into custody in the joint U.S.-Iraqi raid. Raids in the 4th Division sector have intensified after Iraqi resistance fighters shot and killed three Ameri- cans in an ambush two weeks ago just outside Tikrit. IF YOU MISSED ONE OF OUR MAC. MFETINEC White House denies leak of agent's identity The White House denied yesterday that President Bush's top political adviser leaked a CIA agent's identity to retaliate against an opponent of the administration's Iraq policy. Prodded by Democrats, the Justice Depart- ment said it was looking into whether a full investigation was warranted - a step rarely taken. Two months after the CIA complained that the identity of an undercover agent had been exposed in apparent violation of the law, the Justice Department's counterespionage section is still conducting a preliminary probe, officials said. The White House was cool toward Democrats' argu- ment that a special counsel should be appointed to guarantee an impartial investigation. The disclosure of the intelligence officer's identity by syndicated colum- nist Robert Novak came shortly after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, undermined Bush's claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa. In what turned out to be a major embarrassment, Bush was even- tually forced to acknowledge he could not back up his statement. VIENNA, Austria Iran says nuclear traces came from abroad Iran acknowledged yesterday that additional traces of weapons-grade uranium have been found on its soil but argued they came from abroad - a claim U.N. and other experts said cannot be discounted. The United States and its allies accuse Tehran of running a secret nuclear weapons program, and Iran's acknowledgment was expected to strengthen those arguments. Over the weekend, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Iran to abandon its suspected nuclear-weapons programs. Iran is facing an Oct. 31 deadline to bare its nuclear secrets set by the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors. If the board rules at its Nov. 20 meeting that Tehran has violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty banning the spread of nuclear arms, the Security Council could impose diplomatic or economic sanctions. The IAEA is sending a team to Iran for negotiations Thursday ahead of what the agency hopes will be a new round of inspections starting Friday. Iran insists it will not stop uranium enrichment and that it has a right to a peaceful nuclear program, as allowed under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. 4 WASH INGTON Anthrax antidote may work, needs testing Consider it an anthrax blood- hound, a drug that can swoop into the body, latch onto deadly toxins spewed by anthrax bacteria and get rid of them. Two years after the anthrax-by- mail attacks, scientists are hard at work on such an antidote. It's far too soon to be sure it will work. The drug, called ABthrax, did save animals exposed to lethal amounts of anthrax, but human safe- ty tests only recently began. If the anthrax killer, still at large, struck again, a few hundred doses of the experimental drug are on hand that doctors might be allowed to try. It's one of very few new options in advanced testing despite millions spent on bioterrorism preparedness since 2001. That's the sobering reality: Med- ical research takes a lot of time. WASH INGTON Uninsured numbers grow as costs rise The ranks of the uninsured swelled by 2.4 million last year as insurance costs kept rising and more Americans lost their jobs and health care coverage. The number of people without health insurance the entire year rose to 43.6 million, a jump of almost 6 percent from 2001 and the second consecutive annual increase, the Census Bureau said in a report being released today. The percentage of Americans without health coverage rose from 14.6 to 15.2. The bureau reported a survey last week that found more people fell into poverty and median income declined in 2002, even though the recession offi- cially ended in November 2001. Reflecting the broad scope of the recession and its aftermath, significant increases in uninsured rates occurred among whites, blacks, people 18-to-64, and middle- and higher-income earners. LOS ANGELES Calif. recall displaces primaries' coverage The California recall has gotten unprecedented national TV coverage for a statewide election, receiving more airtime on the Big Three networks than the White House race. From Aug. 1 through Sept. 25, the nightly newscasts on NBC, ABC and CBS devoted a total of 127 minutes to the recall, said Andrew Tyndall, who monitors TV news for his Tyn- dall Report newsletter. In that same period, the Democratic presidential contenders received a total of 36 minutes. That represents unprecedented national airtime for a statewide elec- tion, Tyndall said. In 2002, the net- works gave all gubernatorial races nationwide a combined 40 minutes of attention for the year. - Compiled from Daily wire reports. 4 lJjJ[tt .+tIt I Attend all required classes or make-up sessions, complete all scheduled tests, and do your homework. If your score doesn't improve on test day from your Kaplan diagnostic or a prior official test score, you can choose to repeat our program for free or get a full refund of your tuition. ** It's that simple. World Leader in Test Prep and Admissions WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $105. Winter term (January through April) is $110, yearlong (September through April) is $190. 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